Hellmouth: Manhattan
by The Big Lazy Dragon
Summary: When Glory frees Maeve from Avalon in her quest for the Key, Buffy & company return to New York and reunite with Goliath's clan in order to avert a cataclysm.
1. Prelude

Hellmouth: Manhattan

Prelude

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Buffy, Angel and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This series takes place between the 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' fifth season episodes 'Triangles' and 'Checkpoint', and the 'Angel' second season episodes 'The Shroud of Rahmon' and 'The Trial'.

December 9, 2000 

_Sunnydale, California_

_9:55 PM_

Sunnydale High School 

"You think you brought enough weapons?" Anya asked.

Buffy looked over at the former vengeance demon sitting next to Xander Harris. "Where this thing's concerned, you can never have too many."

Buffy looked around at her friends. The Scooby Core, minus two of course. Willow and Xander, the first two who discovered her secret her first year at Sunnydale High. Rupert Giles, her former Watcher, now her mentor since his separation from the Council. Anya, formerly Anyanka the vengeance demon, now Xander Harris' steady girlfriend. Missing of course were Cordelia Chase, who now worked in Los Angeles alongside Angel and Wesley, and Oz, who was in self imposed exile in the Labyrinth in Manhattan.

"Are you sure about this, Giles?" she asked.

"Fairly certain," he said. "All the signs point to a reopening of the Hellmouth tonight." He looked at his watch. "By my calculations, it should occur within the next few minutes or so."

"Did you allow for Daylight Savings Time?" Anya asked.

"That's only in the Midwest, Anya," Giles said.

"Sorry," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Is there somewhere else you'd much rather be?" he asked.

"I can think of several places I'd much rather be on a Saturday night other than this hole," she said.

They had gathered in the library of Sunnydale High, the school now nothing more than a charred ruin since the battle with the transformed Mayor Wilkins a year and a half ago. Since then, Buffy and company had returned here once to keep a trio of demons from opening the Hellmouth, which sat directly beneath them, but as luck would have it, the Hellmouth refused to remain dormant, and recent signs pointed to a reopening of the portal and the release of the demon that dwelt within it.

Anya looked around as her watch chimed ten o'clock. Nothing had happened. "Can we go now?" she asked.

"I could have sworn…" Giles started, but then the ground began to shake.

Buffy quickly picked up a battle-axe and handed another to Xander. Willow quickly retrieved the _wakisashi _sword Sata had given her as a gift during her visit to Manhattan. Her hand went to the hilt, but she didn't draw it, waiting for the demon to emerge.

They spread out, not wanting to give the demon a chance to get them all at once.

"Get ready," Buffy said as the ground continued to shake.

And then…

The shaking stopped, and a thick cloud of dust escaped from the fissure, accompanied by a deep rumble that sounded surprisingly like a belch.

"Is that it?" Buffy asked after several minutes. "That's the big scary you were worried about?"

Giles took off his glasses to wipe the dust off. "I don't understand," he said. "The signs pointed to something major occurring."

Xander lowered the axe. "It looks like the only thing 'major' that happened was the Hellmouth demon just had a major gas attack."

"Perhaps I misread the signs," Giles said. "I'll need to go over the texts again."

"Does this mean we can go now?" Anya asked.

December 9, 2000 

_Los Angeles, California_

_9:55 PM_

_Apartment of Cordelia Chase_

"Fantastic party, Cordelia," Candice said.

"Thanks," she replied.

The party was in full swing now, Cordelia noted. _A perfect way to spend a Saturday night. _She looked across the floor and spotted Angel. _At least for some of us, _she thought. Of course, he did have a reason to worry. Ever since the unexpected return of Darla, Angel had been on edge, waiting for her to spring out of the shadows to kill him. She picked up a glass and headed over towards him.

And then…

The vision hit her like a truck. She dropped the champagne glass as the apartment complex began to tremble.

Angel saw Cordelia start to collapse and he was at her side in an instant, supporting her as the vision took hold of her.

_Trees. A park. A jogger, running in terror from something he had just seen. A castle high in the clouds. A mystic circle. An eclipse of the sun. Demona…_

"Cordelia, are you okay?" Angel asked.

Cordelia looked at him, suddenly aware of his arms around her. "Yeah," she said as she looked around. Her party had paused when the rumble hit, everyone expecting it to be the Big One, but when it passed with no discernable damage, the party resumed. Angel quickly led her to the kitchen and took the magnetic note pad off the refrigerator door.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"I don't know," Cordelia said. "It was all jumbled up." Still, she took the notepad and began writing down the more clear aspects of the vision.

Angel looked at the notepad. "Demona," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "I got a clear picture of her. And a castle in the sky."

"A castle in the sky?" Wesley asked as he came into the kitchen. When he saw Angel and Cordelia look at him, he continued. "I saw you bring Cordelia in here. I assume she's had another vision."

"A bad one," she said. "As usual."

"Any idea what caused it?" Wesley asked. "I assume it wasn't the earthquake."

"It might have been," Angel said. "The vision hit her just as the tremor started." He went to the refrigerator and retrieved the icepack Cordelia kept there for just such an occasion. She thanked him as he handed it to her.

"What about the castle?" Wesley asked.

"Could be Castle Wyvern," he said.

"Castle Whatern?" Cordelia asked

"Wyvern," Wesley said. "It's a Scottish castle. David Xanatos bought it a couple of years ago and had it put on top of the Eyrie Building in Manhattan."

"I remember hearing about that," she said. "I wonder why Demona would be involved in that."

"Probably because it was her ancestral home," Angel said. "Her clan was frozen in stone for a thousand years by a spell that could only be broken when the castle rose above the clouds." He looked at the notepad again. _Something was up, _he knew. Something that involved Demona's clan. And whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

December 10, 2000 

_Manhattan Island, New York_

_12:55 AM_

_Destine Manor_

Demona watched as Angela closed her eyes and began the chant again.

"You cannot let anything distract you," she said as she circled her daughter. "You must be able to block out all else. Now, concentrate. Hold the image in your mind."

Angela smiled as she felt her mother pass behind her. Demona continued to drill her every time she came over. Ever since she came into her own as a sorceress, Angela had been practicing almost every night, trying to expand her own abilities, and Demona _still _treated her like a novice. _Probably because, in her eyes I still am._ Demona had far more experience than Angela could ever hope to gain, over a thousand years worth. _I'll just have to show her that I'm as good as she is._ Angela concentrated and caused the flame of the candle to brighten. Demona watched her progress with a practiced eye.

_Good, _she thought._ Her control is growing every day. She will need it if I am right…_

A tremor stopped her thought. It shook the manor for a moment, and Demona could hear car alarms going off up and down the street.

"Mother!" Angela called out. Demona looked to her daughter.

The flame of the candle had shot upwards and outwards and had set the drapes on fire. Demona quickly pulled them down as Angela grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the blaze. _It's a good thing I had that nearby,_ she thought.

"I'm sorry, mother," Angela said. "I…I got distracted and let it get away from me."

Demona looked at the candle and the ruined drapes. "No, Angela," she said, resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "This wasn't your fault. This was caused by…something else."

"What?" she asked.

"I don't know," Demona said as she looked towards her library. "But I intend to find out."

December 10, 2000 

_London, England_

_5:55 AM_

_Into The Mystic_

Una sat at the table, laying out the Tarot cards one more time. _This can't be right, _she thought. _It just can't be. Not after all this time._ As she lay the last card down, her face grew paler than usual. _No, _she thought. _Not again. _She picked up the cards and reshuffled them.

Emrys Hawkins watched her with concern. Normally, he dismissed Tarot cards as just another fluke, but even he knew that laying down the same cards three times in a row was pushing the odds. He watched as Una took a deep cleansing breath and began laying the cards down again.

It was the same pattern. He saw the panic in her eyes as she lifted the last card to put it down. _The Tower._

A tremor hit London at almost the same moment Una released the card. When it passed, she looked up at the young wizard that had once been the mightiest of them all, Merlin.

"We need Arthur," she said. "For he may be the only one who can save us."

"I'll go get him," Emrys said. He hurried out of the shop as Una gathered up the scattered cards. _I just hope and pray that I am wrong about this, _she thought. _Because if I'm not, then we are all doomed._

_Avalon_

Oberon greeted his children as they filled into the main audience chamber. A number of them looked disturbed by something, but he couldn't say what.

Queen Titania also looked distracted, but he knew what was troubling her. They still needed to decide what to do about Maeve and the other Unseelie rebels. The Unseelie Uprising had been over for well over a year now, as mortals reckoned time, but Oberon still kept the Unseelie Queen locked away, still mulling over her fate.

"Have you decided on her fate, my lord?" she asked again.

"Not yet," Oberon said. "I still need time to decide. Mere banishment is, of course, out of the question."

"You could…" Titania started, but then the Weird Sisters appeared. The worry on their faces was enough to make her forget what she was about to say.

"My lord," Luna said. "We bring news of a disturbance from the mortal world."

"And what news, pray tell, could be so disturbing that you would interrupt…" was all Oberon was able to get out before a tremor shook Avalon to its foundations. It lasted only a moment, but it was enough to cause Oberon's Mirror to fall over. Gabriel, the leader of the Avalon gargoyles, was quick enough to catch it before it could hit the floor and shatter.

After the tremor died down, Oberon stood up, calling for quiet before turning to Titania. "What do you make of that, my queen?" he asked.

"I do not know, my lord," she said. "But if the Sisters are correct, and that disturbance did originate in the mortal world, then quite possibly it was caused by something that could possibly threaten us all."

Down in her cell, the Unseelie Queen Maeve smiled.

_It begins._

December 10, 2000 

_Manhattan Island, New York_

_1:00 AM_

_Central Park_

In a quiet corner of the park, away from the well-traveled paths and lit areas, a small crack opened up in the ground. Then a small tentacle slithered out and felt around tentatively. _It wasn't time yet,_ the demon realized. _Just a little while longer. _The tentacle quickly retreated back into the ground. _Just a little while longer._

_To be continued…_


	2. The Coming Storm

Hellmouth: Manhattan

The Coming Storm

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Buffy, Angel, and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This series takes place between the 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' fifth season episodes 'Triangles' and 'Checkpoint', and the 'Angel' second season episodes 'The Shroud of Rahmon' and 'The Trial'.

"_You think you know what you are, what's to come?_

_You haven't even begun..."_

_Dracula_

"_Buffy vs. Dracula"_

_December 10, 2000_

_Manhattan_

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Travis Marshall said. "This is Travis Marshall. Our top story at this hour…" He paused for a moment for dramatic effect. "Scientists and seismologists around the world are still baffled by the seemingly simultaneous earth tremors that struck at roughly 1:00 AM Eastern Standard Time this morning. Experts have verified that a mild tremor, whose epicenter has yet to be calculated, struck Manhattan at 1:00 this morning, Eastern Standard Time, and that other tremors were felt at almost exactly the same time in California, South America, London and even Japan. Local seismologists are baffled by the unprecedented geological activity that some doomsday cultists have said may mark the beginning of the coming Apocalypse. We now go live to Washington…"

Xanatos hit the 'Mute' button on the remote, turning off the sound as he turned to face his visitor. "What do you make of that?" he asked.

"Greatly disturbing," the Queen of the Fae said. Following the disturbance in Avalon, Titania had returned to the mortal world to check on her daughter Fox and Alex, Fox's son. "I see that the Weird Sisters were correct about the magnitude of the disturbance."

"And you felt it on Avalon?" he asked.

"We did," she said. "As was the case here, there was very little damage. More jangled nerves than anything else."

Xanatos sat back in his chair. _This is serious, _he thought. _Any disturbance powerful enough to reach from the mortal world to Avalon was **definitely **bad news. _ "Do you know what could have caused it?" he asked.

Titania looked at her son-in-law. "Had I known what caused the disturbance, I would not have come here to ask you, David. But whatever it is, I suspect that it threatens us all." She turned to look at the muted television. "Have you had any word from Emrys?"

"None," Xanatos said.

"Then I guess London will be my next stop," she said as she turned to look at him. "But first, I think I will stop in to see my grandson one more time." She smiled as she disappeared, but Xanatos caught the hint of worry in her eyes. _She's afraid that she won't get the chance to say good-bye to him,_ he realized. _Now I am worried._

_The Magic Box_

_Sunnydale, California_

Giles watched as Buffy pounded on the bag, working out her anger. Several times, he winced as Buffy put another hole in the worn-out punching bag, and he had to act quickly to put a piece of duct tape over the hole to stop the sand from spilling out.

"Remind me never to get her mad at me," Xander said as he stood nearby. "I can just imagine what she's going to do to Riley..."

That brought an end to Buffy's assault on the bag, and she turned to look at Xander, the first hint of tears in her eyes.

"Oops," Willow said. "You said the 'R' word again."

Buffy turned back to the bag and began pummeling it again. This time, she didn't stop until she finally hit the bag so hard that the chain holding it to the ceiling snapped and the bag fell to the floor. Then she stopped.

Xander took a hesitant step forwards. "Buffy, I'm sorry," he said.

Buffy sniffed back the tears that were threatening to spill over. "No, it's okay," she lied. "I'm dealing."

"Are you?" Willow asked. "I mean, it's only been a few days since...you know...'what's his name' left, and..."

"I'm okay," she said. "I just need to do something other than think about him."

"Well, you could always go pound on Spike for a while," Xander suggested. "That always seemed to brighten your mood before."

Buffy frowned at that.

"Or not," Xander said.

"Well," Giles said as he went over to the devastated punching bag. "I need to go and purchase a new bag." He turned to Buffy. "Could you..."

"Right," Buffy said. She went over and effortlessly lifted the punching bag and headed for the back door. When she came back, she found the training room empty. She headed towards the door and entered the main part of the magic shop, where she found Willow sitting at the table with her girlfriend Tara and Anya, looking through several spell books, while her sister Dawn sat off to one side, watching a small portable TV.

"So," she asked. "Find anything?"

"No," Anya said. "I still don't see why Giles wants us to go through these books again," the former vengeance demon complained. "I mean, it's not like anything major happened..."

"Maybe not," Buffy said. "But you never know..."

The phone rang, and Anya quickly got up to answer it. "The Magic Box," she said. "Your one-stop spot to shop..." She paused as she listened to the voice on the other end. "I'm sorry, but he's not here. Can I take a message?" She paused again. "I don't know when he'll be back."

"Who is it?" Buffy asked.

Anya covered the mouthpiece. "Some pushy Englishwoman," she said. "Listen," she said, resuming her discussion with the woman on the phone. "I know that you said it's important that you talk to Rupert, but he just stepped out and I don't know when he'll be back. If you'd just give me your name and number, I'll let him know that you called." She picked up a pen and a pad of paper. "Okay, your name's Una? Is that a first name or last?"

_Una? _Buffy thought for a moment. _Where have I heard that name before? _She reached for the phone. "Can I talk to her for a minute?" she asked.

Anya surrendered the phone to her.

"Hello, Una?" she said. "This is Buffy Summers." She paused for a minute. "I know you don't know me, but I need to ask you something, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Are you a gargoyle?"

There was a startled gasp on the other end. "Why do you ask?" she heard the other woman say.

"I heard Giles mention you once," she said. "He's my Watcher."

"Buffy!" she heard Willow gasp.

She held up her hand to silence her friend. "I'm the Slayer," she told the equine gargoyle.

On the other end of the line, Una looked at her mate, Leo. "The Slayer?" she asked.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "As in 'she who is destined to fight the forces of darkness'. That Slayer."

"Can you tell me where Rupert went?" she asked.

"He went to get a new punching bag," Buffy said. "You know, for my training."

"I see," Una said.

"Is there something you need?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Una said. "Something dire is approaching, and I needed to confer with him about it."

"Sounds serious," Buffy said.

"It is," Una said. "I need to talk to him about a Tarot reading I did earlier today." She paused for a moment. "But if you are the Slayer, maybe I could ask you..."

"The Tarot's not my thing," Buffy said. She paused as she looked at both Willow and Tara, who were looking at her expectantly. For a moment, she wondered if it had anything to do with the tremor earlier that morning. "But I do know someone who could help..." She covered the mouthpiece and extended the phone to Willow.

"Is that really Una?" Willow asked.

"Could be," Buffy said. "She called about a Tarot reading and she wanted to talk to Giles about it. Do you think you could..."

"Of course," Willow said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a deck of Tarot cards, then got up and headed for the phone. Tara got up and went with her.

"Hello, Miss Una," Willow said. "Sorry. Just plain Una." She listened as Una relayed to her what had happened. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. She opened the Tarot deck and began laying out cards. She paused for a moment as she caught the look of anxiety on Tara's face. _This is not a good thing, _she thought. "Okay, I'll tell Giles about this when he gets back." She hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Buffy asked. "I'm guessing it must be pretty bad."

"It...it could be," Willow said. "I mean, the layout that Una described is pretty bad. And when she told me that she kept putting down the same cards three times in a row..."

The phone rang again, and this time Buffy picked it up before Anya had a chance to. "The Magic Box," she chimed, trying to sound cheerful. She smiled a bit as she recognized the voice on the other end. "Hi, Oz. How have you been?"

"Okay," Oz said. "Just calling to see if you guys are okay. We heard about the tremor."

"It was nothing, Oz," Buffy said. "Want to talk to Willow?"

"Not right now," Oz said. "We've still got a lot to clean up after the one that hit us."

"A tremor hit Manhattan? When?" She paused and looked at Xander and Anya. "Has there been anything about other earth tremors on the news today?" she asked.

"Not that I know of," Xander said. "But then again, we have been cooped up in here all morning."

Buffy went to the TV and changed the station.

"Hey," Dawn protested. "I was watching..."

"This is important, Dawn" Buffy said. She found a station that was doing the midday news.

"Everything is 'important'," Dawn said, sulking as Buffy turned her attention back to the phone.

"Okay, Oz," she said. "We've got the news on."

"Still no word on the unexplained tremors that hit cities around the world early this morning," the reporter said. "Local scientists are baffled by the phenomenon, and the President has called a special session with leading scientists from across the globe to discuss the event."

"Cool," Dawn said.

"There's nothing 'cool' about it," Buffy said to her sister before turning her attention back to the phone. "Thanks for the heads-up, Oz," she said, then hung up the phone. She turned her attention back to the television. "Did they say when the tremors hit?" she asked.

"They said it happened at about one o'clock this morning," Willow said. "New York time. And since New York is three hours ahead of us…"

"That would put it at about 10:00 last night," Buffy said. "Giles was right. Something did happen."

"Do you think maybe the Hellmouth demon got sick and tired of Sunnydale and decided to move?" Willow asked.

Buffy's eyes went wide at the thought of the possible implications. "God, I hope not," she said.

"Uh, excuse me," Xander said, raising his hand. "You hope not? This may sound dumb, but if the demon is gone, doesn't that make things easier on us? I mean, Glory is bad enough, but if we don't have to go squatting in the old library anymore waiting…"

"The Hellmouth demon is my responsibility, Xander," Buffy said. "If it's decided to make the big move, then there's no telling where and when it'll show up again. What happens if a new Hellmouth opens up in one of the other cities that were hit by these tremors? God, what happens if it opens up in the middle of the Manhattan?"

"Not the kind of thing we want to see happen anytime soon," Willow added.

"Gotcha," Xander said. "Not a good thing."

"No," Buffy said. She quickly grabbed her coat. "I'm going to go find Giles," she said. "I've got to tell him about this." She looked at Willow and Tara. "I need you guys to go into serious research mode. We have to find a way of stopping this before it starts." She put on her coat and headed for the door.

"What say I go out and get a few burgers?" Xander said. "Like maybe a dozen. I get the feeling we're going to be at this all day."

"What was your first clue?" Willow asked.

Xander picked up a pad of paper and a pen. "Okay," he said. "Who wants what on their burgers?"

_Into The Mystic_

_London, England_

Leo watched as Una pulled a book from the shelf, looked at it for a moment, and then put it back before grabbing another and repeating the entire process. After watching her for several minutes, he went over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Take it easy, luv," he said, trying to calm his mate. "I'm sure that Rupert will call back as soon as possible."

"I hope he does," the equine gargess said, the sound of worry clear in her voice. She took another book down from the shelf and opened it. Satisfied that she now had the correct volume, she headed towards the back of the shop, where Emrys Hawkins, her clanmate Griff and his mate Brianna, and Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King of Britain were waiting for her.

"Did you reach him?" Emrys asked as Una sat at the table.

"No," Una said regretfully. "He had just stepped out when I called."

"Why is it so important that you talk with this 'Rupert Giles', Una?" Griff asked. "Who is he anyway?"

"He is a good friend," Leo said as he entered the back room. "Someone we knew a long time ago." He looked over at his mate. "He's helped us out from time to time when we needed…advice…about certain things that came into our possession."

Griff looked at Una, a question already forming. "What sort of 'things'?" he asked.

"Nothing dangerous, Griff," Leo quickly said. "Just the odd amulet or scroll that usually found its way to us, same as before the war. Rupert was a big help in figuring out which ones were authentic and which ones weren't worth the trouble in keeping on the shelves."

"If he was that invaluable to you," Arthur asked. "Then why isn't he here now?"

"He had other, far more…important duties to perform," Una said.

"What could be that important?" Griff asked.

Una looked at Leo hesitantly. "The Slayer," she said finally.

"Oh," Griff said in understanding.

"This Rupert Giles is a Watcher then?" Arthur asked.

"You know about them?" Una said.

Arthur looked at Emrys. "Merlin made it a habit of keeping me informed about the dealings of the Watchers Council," he said, setting his hand on the young wizard's shoulder. "I never personally met any of the members of the Council, but I do recall a young girl who visited Camelot during a time when a mysterious sickness fell across the countryside. Within days of her arrival, the sickness ended seemingly overnight, and it was not long afterwards that we discovered a vampire had descended on Camelot, and that the girl had tracked him to his lair and ended his evil once and for all."

"If memory serves, Arthur," Emrys said. "Not a lot of the knights were keen on the idea of a mere slip of a girl doing the task that they felt they would have been better suited for."

"Aye," Arthur said. "Even Guinevere thought it was not the girl's place to battle the fiend on her own. And I will admit that I too had thought that this young girl, who could not have been any older than Emrys is now, would not have been able to find and defeat him. That was before we realized just who and what she truly was."

Brianna had tried to follow the conversation, but now she looked at Arthur in total confusion. "I do not understand," she said. "This girl was human, wasn't she?"

"A special human," Arthur explained. "In every generation, there is born one girl, a Chosen One, who will be called upon to fight against the forces of darkness. This girl is known as the Slayer. She will be born with extraordinary abilities; strength, stamina, exceptional health. All which she will need in her battle against the dark forces of the underworld."

"And the Watchers?" Brianna asked.

"The Watchers are charged with training and preparing the Chosen One for her battles with the forces of evil," Una said. "They are the only ones who know where and when the next Slayer will emerge after the previous one has died."

"And that is what happened with our friend," Leo said. "The Watchers Council sent him to America to train the next Slayer. But he has stayed in touch with us. He owns a magic store in a small town in California called Sunnydale." He paused for a moment. "A town that has a somewhat notorious reputation."

"What sort of reputation?" Emrys asked.

Una looked at Leo. "Have you ever heard of something known as a Hellmouth?"

Emrys' eyes went wide in surprise.

_The Labyrinth_

_Manhattan_

"All right, Oz," Talon said as he opened the door to the cage. "In you go."

"Thanks, Talon," Daniel Osborne, better known to his friends as simply 'Oz', said as he stepped into the cage. Talon closed the door and locked it, then stepped back as Oz began to take off his clothes behind the metal privacy screen that had been permanently installed across the bars.

"Are you sure this is really necessary?" the Mutate leader said as Oz passed him his shirt and shoes. "I mean, you seem to be getting better at controlling the changes…"

"I still can't take the risk, Talon," he said. "Even though Willow managed to do something when she and Demona cast that spell five months ago, I can still feel the beast inside me, just waiting for me to let my guard down. I won't take that chance, especially now that I can sense that something bad is in the air." He paused for a moment as he looked over towards the stone figure of Delilah, who had taken to watching over him during his monthly transformations. "I don't want to risk hurting her," he said absently before turning his full attention to the Mutate leader. "Or anybody else."

Talon looked over towards the hybrid clone, who looked on him as not simply a leader, but family as well. During the past few months, he had noticed that the two seemed to be growing closer with each passing day, although both tried to deny it. _I wish the two of them would just admit that they like each other and get it over with,_ he thought in exasperation. Of course, he knew that even though Oz was developing strong feelings for Delilah, and she for him, Oz still had very strong feelings for someone else; Willow, the girl he had left behind in Sunnydale to avoid causing her further pain, and who had come to New York back in July to try to cure him of his curse. The cure hadn't worked entirely as everyone had hoped. Oz still needed to be locked up during the three nights of the full moon, but with every passing month, he seemed to gain better control of the beast within him. On the first and third nights of last month's full moon, Delilah had actually been able to approach the cage without having Oz charge the bars in an attempt to attack her.

Talon looked at the clock on the wall, noting the time. With the first day of winter less than two weeks away, the nights were already growing longer, which meant that Delilah would awaken soon. If he was lucky, Oz would have a chance to talk with her before moonrise. "I'll be back before sunrise to check on you," he said.

"Thanks, Talon," Oz said. He watched as the Mutate leader checked the lock on the cage door one more time before turning to leave. Once he was gone, Oz sat back and waited for the hybrid clone to awaken.

The wait was short. Barely five minutes had passed before Oz's ears picked up the telltale sound of cracking stone. He got up and watched as Delilah awoke with a roar. As soon as she finished shaking off the remnants of her stone skin, she turned to look at the cage. She smiled as she saw Oz looking back at her.

"Hello, Oz," she said cheerfully as she approached the cage. "I didn't think I'd wake up in time to see you before you changed."

"The moon won't be up for a few more minutes," Oz said. He reached through the bars and gave the clone's hand a gentle squeeze. "When you've been doing this for as long as I have, you kinda become extra sensitive to the phases of the moon."

"Elisa says that's how things are for her now that she and Goliath are together," Delilah said. "She told me once that even when she can't see the sky, she can tell right when sunset is."

"I guess it helps when you're dating a gargoyle," Oz said with a smile.

Delilah's smile wavered just a bit at his remark. She took another step closer towards the bars, but then Oz pulled back, a frown crossing his lips.

"Uh, Delilah," he said. "Now isn't…a good time…"

She frowned as he retreated from her, feeling hurt by his apparent rejection, but then he hid himself behind the privacy screen as the change took hold of him. Delilah stepped back as Oz's body change, but when it was over, she approached the bars again, hoping that Oz had managed to gain a little more control over the beast within him. "Oz?" she asked.

The werewolf that was Oz slammed into the bars, snarling as he reached through, trying to claw at the hybrid gargoyle, who quickly retreated. Before she was fully aware of it, Delilah was by the far wall, where the only weapon in the Labyrinth was kept. It was a high-powered tranquilizer gun, which Talon had reluctantly agreed to allow in the Labyrinth when Oz decided to make it his permanent home. Her hand closed on the wooden stock for a fraction of a second before she stepped away from the weapon and turned back towards the cage. Oz had seemingly calmed down, and she took that as a positive sign. She slowly began approaching the cage again.

"Oz," she began calmly. "I know that you might not understand…"

Oz rushed the bars, causing her to jump back again. This time, he didn't give any indication that he was going to stop a second time. Delilah watched as he began slamming himself against the door, and her eyes went wide when she saw it begin to give way. She turned and quickly rushed for the gun, pulling it from its mount on the wall, and brought it up just as she heard the door to the cage finally burst open.

_The Hyperion Hotel_

_Los Angeles, California_

Angel sat at his desk, an ancient scroll spread out before him. Every few seconds, his eyes focused on one particular section of the scroll before shifting to another section and then going back to that same section. After three hours, he got up, releasing his hold on the edges of the scroll and letting the parchment roll back up. He began to pace back and forth, trying to come to a decision, and thankful that Cordelia and Wesley weren't around.

_I can't involve them in this,_ he thought as he looked back to the scroll that lay on his desk. The Scroll of Aberjin, which he had stolen from Wolfram and Hart six months ago, and which Holland Manners and Lindsey McDonald had used to resurrect Angel's sire Darla. If what was in the scroll were true, then there was a good chance that whatever was going to happen in New York, it would involve Demona and her clan. And there was every indication in the scroll that if he went to New York, he was not going to be coming back. He couldn't risk Cordy and Wesley's safety if it turned out to be true. Especially after what happened with Kate and the Shroud of Rahmon...

No, this was something he was going to have to face alone.

Angel went into the lobby, where the weapons cabinet stood. He opened the doors and looked inside. Opening a hidden compartment in the floor of the cabinet, he found the dagger he was searching for and pulled it out. Pulling it from its sheath, Angel inspected the short blade with a practiced eye before returning it to its sheath and sticking under his belt. Returning to his office, he picked up the scroll and placed it in the cylinder that it had been in when he 'liberated' it from Wolfram and Hart. For a moment, he paused, wondering if he should leave a note for Cordelia and Wesley to let them know where he was going. _No,_ he finally decided. If he did that, then they would end up trying to follow him, and that was something he couldn't risk. He couldn't risk losing any more of his friends or allow any of them to come to further harm. Or allow himself to harm them...

_Even after several weeks, he could still feel the taste of Kate's blood on his lips as he fed off of her..._

Angel paused for a moment, trying to banish the mental imagery that sprang to mind, and the feeling those images provoked. He had fed off of Kate at the museum during the theft of the Shroud of Rahmon, and deep down, a part of him had thrilled in the bloodlust that had momentarily swept over him. It had taken a concerted effort on his part not to give in to it entirely, attacking Kate and feeding off of her just enough to convince those who were with him that he had killed her. But a part of him had been tempted, driven to the brink by the sinister presence that existed within the shroud...

Angel set the container containing the Scroll of Aberjin down on the desk and pulled the sheathed dagger out of his belt, looking at the ornately carved hilt for a moment before returning it to its former position. If all went as he hoped, his bloodlust would soon be permanently purged, and he could once again live a normal life.

As a human.

Angel picked up the container and headed out of the office. He didn't even pause as the phone on the counter began to ring.

_The Magic Box_

_Sunnydale_

Giles looked at the cards Willow had set down on the counter. He then turned his attention to the young Wicca. "Are you certain that this is the pattern Una described to you?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah," Willow said. "When she described the pattern to me, I got kinda worried about it myself."

"You have every right to be," Giles said.

"So what's it mean?" Buffy asked.

"It means that the very world itself is in danger," he said.

"Again?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked at the Slayer. "I know, Buffy. How many times have we faced a possible apocalypse, only to manage to forestall it until the next one." He looked at the Tarot cards. "But I believe that this may be our greatest challenge ever, and I do not know if we may be able to prevent it."

"You always say that," Buffy said.

"But I may be right this time," he said. "And given what has transpired over the last few months, I believe we may be on the verge of a potential cataclysm. These cards," he added, indicating the Tarot cards, "show that there is indeed something on the horizon. Something that could affect the balance that exists between good and evil."

"Not a good thing," Xander put in.

"No," Giles said.

"Any idea when this, whatever it is, is going to happen?" Buffy asked.

"Not really," Giles said. "I'm going to have to call Una and consult with her, see if she can give me any additional insight. She is the one who did the initial reading on the cards." She looked at his watch. "Still a few hours before sunrise over there. I should be able to get all the information I need from her to determine what it is we could be facing." He looked at Buffy. "But if I am right, we could be facing an entirely new brand of evil, and we may not be able to stop it."

Buffy watched as Giles headed across the shop, a sudden sense of urgency in his step, and Buffy began to feel worried.

_Great, _she thought. _As if dealing with Glory wasn't bad enough._

_December 11, 2000_

_The Labyrinth_

Elisa looked at the cage door, torn almost completely off its hinges, before turning her attention to the werewolf asleep inside the cage. Even though Oz was now shackled to the floor with chains that even Goliath would have a hard time breaking, she was still nervous. _That door should have held,_ she thought as she tightened her grip on the weapon in her hand. _The quake couldn't have weakened it that much… _She turned when she heard her brother and Goliath approach, her grip on the tranquilizer rifle relaxing considerably. "How is she?" she asked.

"Pretty badly shaken up," Talon said. "But at least he didn't get a chance to maul her. He was probably unconscious the moment he hit her."

"I don't get it," she said. "You told me he was getting better at controlling his…urges."

"He was," Talon said. "I mean, last month he was pretty calm the first and third nights. He even let Delilah get right up to the bars without making a single aggressive move towards her."

"And the second night?" she wondered.

"About the same as the previous months," Talon admitted. "A lot of growling and snarling and pacing like a caged animal." He paused as he looked at the cage door. "But nothing like this. It's almost as if something was driving him to get out and attack her."

"Did Delilah say anything about what might have caused this?" Elisa asked.

"No," Goliath said. "She has only said that she feels that it is her fault. That she should not have gotten so close to the cage…"

"I tried to tell her that she shouldn't be blaming herself for this," Talon said. "Before she woke up, Oz told me that he could feel something bad in the air. I just can't figure out why it would affect him and not us."

"Werewolves are, by nature, supernatural beings, Talon," Goliath said. "Like vampires and the Fae. It is possible that whatever has caused Oz to regress to his more vicious nature, it may be of a supernatural nature and would not affect us in the same way it has affected him."

"So what do we do about it?" Elisa asked. "I mean, Oz is a good kid, but if this is just a sample of what's in store for us over the next couple of nights…"

"He should be okay in the morning," Talon said. "When he wakes up, I'll talk to Dr. Goldblum about the possibility of administering a sedative to Oz tonight and tomorrow night, just in case."

"We should also consider consulting with Demona about what may have caused this outburst," Goliath said. "She might know if there is the possibility of a supernatural cause behind this."

"That might be a good idea," Elisa said. "Aside from Owen, she knows more about sorcery and the mystical arts than anyone else I can think of. She might even know a way of keeping Oz quiet in case the sedative idea doesn't work." She looked at her watch. "But I can't do it right now. I have to get back to the station. There's been a lot of freaky activity going on ever since the tremor last night, and Matt told me earlier that the switchboard's been lit up like a Christmas tree all night." She handed the rifle back to her brother, then rose up on her tiptoes to give Goliath a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll try and stop by the castle after my shift to see how things are going," she said.

"Just be careful, my Elisa," Goliath said, a sudden sense of worry washing over him. "If Oz was correct and there is something coming, I do not want to risk losing you to it."

"Hey, don't worry," she said. "If I can survive the Unseelie War, I can pretty much survive anything." When she saw the frown cross his face, she quickly placed her hand on his arm in reassurance. "Don't worry, Big Guy," she said. "I promise to be careful."

Goliath took her hands in his. "I shall hold you to your word," he said, with just the barest trace of a warning in his tone. Elisa smiled at him, then left, leaving her brother and her lover to watch over the sleeping werewolf.

_Los Angeles County Women's Prison_

_Los Angeles, California_

She sat on the bunk in her cell, listening to the tape that Angel had given her during his last visit. Her eyes closed and humming to the music that was playing, she didn't even acknowledge the female guard's approach until she tapped on the bars of Faith's cell. Faith shut of the tape player and looked at the guard.

"What's up?" she asked.

"You got mail," the female guard said.

Faith paused for a moment to look at the manila envelope in the guard's hand. She took the headphones off and set the tape player aside as she got up from the bunk. She didn't worry about anyone stealing it; the last one that tried ended up with a broken arm, but it was still a good idea to make certain it was out of sight. "Who's it from?" she asked.

"Don't know," the guard said as she passed the envelope through the bars. "I'm not your secretary."

Faith frowned as she took the envelope from the guard. From the weight of it, she could tell that there was something inside. She looked at the front of the envelope. It had her name and inmate number on it, as well as the address of the prison, but there was no return address. Just a postmark that marked the package as having come from somewhere in Los Angeles. Suddenly curious, she took the envelope over to the bunk and began to open it, not even paying attention to the guard as she nodded to one of the security cameras and quickly headed back down the cellblock.

As soon as she finished opening the envelope, she turned it over, dumping the contents out onto the bunk. All that came out was an odd piece of jewelry. It was a flat piece of gold with a blue inlay, and what looked to be part of a golden bird decorating the center. Faith carefully picked it up and looked it over. The piece was no bigger than the palm of her hand, and as she turned it over, she could see that it had been broken. Half of it was missing. She picked up the envelope and looked inside. There was nothing else inside the envelope; no card or letter to tell her what she had or to offer an explanation as to why it was sent to her. And certainly not the other half of the thing she held in her hand. She looked on the bunk and the floor, knowing that if the other half had been in the envelope, she certainly would have seen it tumble out, but she had to make sure she hadn't overlooked it.

"Huh," she snorted as she turned her attention back to the broken gold and blue object in her hand. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do with you?"

As if in response to her question, the object began to glow. Before she had a chance to throw the thing as far away from her as she could, Faith was enveloped in a brilliant ball of flame.

_Glory's apartment_

_Sunndydale_

Glory pulled her fingers from the deliveryman's head, letting him collapse into a heap on the floor. As he lay there twitching, Glory casually stepped over his body and headed for the closet.

"So what do you think?" she said as she pulled two dresses out of the closet. "The red one, or the black?"

"We cannot presume to chose, oh most loveliest of all," Jinx, one of the two acolytes said. "Our own tastes pale before those of your own magnificence."

"Well, of course they do," she said, turning to look at the two acolytes. "I mean, look at you. All you wear are those dingy, smelly robes. Makes me wanna gag." She looked at both dresses, and then tossed the black one back into the closet. Tossing the red dress on the bed, she turned her attention back to the acolytes. "Now, have you guys had any luck finding the Key?"

"Unfortunately no, oh lovely one," Jinx said. "It proves to be as elusive as ever. Wherever the Slayer has secreted it, she has hidden it well."

That brought a frown from Glory. "I need to find the Key," she snapped. "Time is running out and I have to have it."

"We know this all too well," Murk, the other acolyte said. "But until we can determine where the Slayer has hidden it..."

"I want it!" Glory shouted. "I want it, and I want it now!" She snatched up a crystal vase and hurled it angrily across the apartment. It struck the wall and shattered into a million glittering fragments.

"We are trying, oh most beauteous one," Jinx quickly said. "We are doing everything we can to locate the Key, but as long as the Slayer protects it..."

"She cannot hide it forever," Murk said. "Sooner or later, she will make a mistake and then the Key will be yours."

"But when?" Glory asked. "When, when, when? I can't sit around forever and wait for the Slayer to screw up so I can finally get the Key from her. I need the Key, and I need it now!"

"Perhaps I can be of help in that department," a new voice said. The acolytes turned and saw a well-dressed human male enter the apartment. He was carrying a briefcase in his left hand, and Glory immediately focused on the right hand, which was artificial.

"Who are you?" Jinx challenged. "How dare you disturbed her magnificence..."

"Hey!" Glory snapped. "I'll ask the questions around here!" She turned her attention back to the human. "So, what's your name so I can carve it on your tombstone?"

"My named is Lindsey McDonald," he said. "I represent a law firm in Los Angeles known as Wolfram and Hart."

"A lawyer?" Glory said, disgust clear in her voice. "Don't have much use for them. They don't even make an appetizing snack."

"Of course not," Lindsey said. "But I do believe I can be of some use to you."

"Do you know where the Key is?" Glory asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Lindsey said. "But I do..."

"Then you're just as worthless as these scabby morons," Glory snapped as she picked up a poker from next to the fireplace, intending to impale Lindsey with it, but Jinx quickly rushed to her side. "If I may, most delightful one," he quickly said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We have heard many dark tidings about this particular 'law firm'," he said. "And if this human does indeed work for them as he professes, then it is possible that he can aid you in finding the Key."

Glory looked at Lindsey, then back to Jinx, who smiled and began the nod his head vigorously. "Okay," she said, turning her attention back to Lindsey while twirling the poker around between her fingers. "You got five minutes, so start talking."

"As I was saying," Lindsey said. "I don't know where the Key is." He paused for a moment as he looked at his watch. "But I do know someone who can help you find it."

"Really," Glory said, unconvinced. "And why haven't my boys here brought this particular person to me already?"

"Because she's on Avalon," Lindsey said.

"New Jersey?" Murk said, which earned him a quick swat from Jinx.

"Not that Avalon, you idiot," Glory snapped as she got to her feet. Then she turned her attention back to Lindsey. "You think the Fae would help me? I'm one of their worst nightmares! And even if I weren't, I've got no way to get there!"

"Not now, you don't," Lindsey said. "But you will shortly." He opened his briefcase and took out a small item made of gold.

"What's that?" Glory asked.

"I assume you've heard of the Phoenix Gate," Lindsey said.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The Phoenix Gate allowed those who possessed it to travel back and forth through the fabric of time and space," Lindsey explained. "It was said to have been forged by Hephaestus himself, and that it was used to entrap the trickster Loki..."

"I know all about that," Glory said. "I don't need a damned history lesson."

"And at any rate," Jinx quickly added. "The Phoenix Gate is lost to us. I have heard that it was destroyed several years ago, and that Odin himself reclaimed the remains."

"That's true," Lindsey said. "But some time after the forging of the original gate, another one was commissioned. The second one didn't have the same power to travel through time as the first, but it still possessed the ability to transport the bearer to wherever they wanted to go."

Glory quickly walked over and snatched the _faux_ gate from Lindsey's hand. After looking at it, she frowned. "It's broken."

"Deliberately," Lindsey explained. "The individual who had it made intended to use it to invaded Avalon and overthrow his brother. Unfortunately, it was stolen before he got a chance to use it."

"This belonged to Madoc?" Glory asked.

"You know him?" Lindsey said.

"The only Fae who was ever worth a damn," Glory said. "If he hadn't been so obsessed with taking on his brother Oberon, I think that he and I could have had some great times together. You said someone deliberately broke this?"

"Yes," Lindsey said. "We don't know by whom, but we're pretty sure that it was the same sorcerer who stole it to begin with. After it was broken, the two halves were lost. At least, until a few years ago."

"So whose got the other half?" Glory asked. "If this thing can get me to Avalon, I'll do whatever it takes to get it."

"That won't be necessary," Lindsey said. He stretched out his good hand and Glory reluctantly handed it back to him. "The interesting thing about this particular item is that, even split in half, it still has the power to transport people from one place to another. Although I am told the experience is rather unpleasant..."

Glory watched as Lindsey held up the small half of the _faux _gate.

"_Deflegrate muri intervallia!"_

Glory watched as a ball of flame began to form in the center of the room. It grew rapidly and for a moment, she thought that it would ultimately fill the apartment, taking not only her, but also her minions and Lindsey to Avalon. But just as the edges of the fireball reached her, it quickly vanished, leaving a young woman dressed in a prison uniform trembling on the floor.

"What's up with this?" Glory asked.

Lindsey quickly walked over to the young woman and reached down, plucking the other half of the _faux_ gate from her fingers. He then backed away as she looked up and started to take in her surroundings. Frowning, she forced herself to her feet.

"Lindsey," she snarled.

"Hello, Faith," he said, with a trace of a smile. "It's been a long time."

"Not long enough," she said. Her eyes focused on his right hand. "Angel told me he took off your hand. You should've left me where I was, 'cause I'm about to finish the job." She took a step towards Lindsey.

"Sorry," Glory said as she raced up and caught Faith by the hair, yanking her back. "Can't let you mess up my lawyer." Grabbing Faith by the arm, she tossed the Slayer across the room. Faith hit the coffee table and smashed it. Grimacing, Faith began to force herself back to her feet, but Glory quickly stalked over and wrapped her fingers around Faith's throat. "She sure is spunky," Glory said as she began to force Faith to her knees, tightening her grip. "And strong, too," she added. "Not that it'll matter in a few minutes."

Faith's eyes began to widen as she felt her air supply being cut off. She began to beat on Glory's hand, trying to break her grip.

Lindsey watched with a hint of satisfaction as Faith struggled, then he looked at the two halves of the faux gate in his hand. "Don't kill her," he said, drawing Glory's attention away from Faith. "We still need her."

Glory looked back at Faith for a second, and then shoved her back to the floor. "Why?" she asked as she walked back to Lindsey, ignoring Faith as she began to cough harshly.

Lindsey turned the two halves of the gate in his hand until they were rejoined. The break repaired itself, making the piece whole again, and Lindsey smiled as he handed it to Glory. "In order to use it to get to Avalon, you'll need a living Slayer to activate it."

Glory looked back at Faith. "Wait a minute," she said. "Are you telling me..."

"She is a Slayer," Lindsey said.

"That is not possible," Jinx said. When Glory looked at him, he bowed quickly. "With all due respect, your magnificence," he said in supplication. "There is but one Slayer. We have seen her."

"Ordinarily, I would agree," Lindsey said. "There is supposed to be one Slayer. We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but we think that the current Slayer died for a few minutes, and was then revived. It took the senior partners by surprise when it happened."

Glory looked at the restored gate in her hand. "So I need her to make this thing work, huh?" she said, nodding her head back towards Faith.

"Yes," Lindsey said. He walked over to his briefcase and withdrew another item, a collar made of gold with a piece of obsidian imbedded in the metal, which he took over and fastened around Faith's neck. When Faith started to take a swing at him, he reached into his pocket, and a charge of electricity raced through her body, stunning her. "I wouldn't try that again if I were you," he said, standing over her as she lay moaning on the floor. He then walked over to Glory, pulling a small item from his pocket. "This will help you keep her in line," he said as he handed it to Glory.

Glory took the object from Lindsey, turning it over to examine it. It looked to be a simple piece of obsidian, no bigger than her thumb. "How do I turn this thing on?" she said, pointing it at Faith.

"It's very simple," he said. "As long as you have this in your hand, she won't even be able to take any action against you, or refuse any order you give her without suffering intense pain."

Glory smiled widely. "Really," she said. "Got any more of these?"

"No," he said. "Unfortunately, this is the only one left in existence. All of the others were lost a long time ago."

She frowned. "Too bad," she said. "I could've used a few more of these things." She looked to her acolytes, who looked at each other nervously.

"I'm sure you could," Lindsey said as he closed his briefcase.

Glory turned the piece of obsidian over in her hand a few more times before turning her attention fully towards Lindsey. "One question," she said. "Just who is it I'm supposed to find on Avalon?" she asked.

"Maeve," he said. "After she and Madoc failed in their last attempt to invade Avalon, she was imprisoned until Oberon could decide on her punishment. She's been there ever since, but the senior partners have a vested interest in having her released."

"And you think that Maeve can help me find the Key," Glory said.

"She is the Mistress of Dreams," Lindsey said. "Once you free her from Avalon, I'm sure she'd be willing to take a peek into the Slayer's dreams and find out where the Key is hidden."

"And what does Wolfram and Hart get out of this?" Glory asked.

"The senior partners also have a vested interest in seeing you return to your own dimension," he said as he closed his briefcase. "They have a few projects in the works, and your presence in this dimension is...complicating matters."

"I see," Glory said. "Well, you can tell them that as soon as I have the Key, I'll be on my way home. And they can do whatever they want with this pathetic mudball. I won't care."

"I'll let them know," he said. Picking up his briefcase, Lindsey turned and left Glory's apartment, leaving her with a smile on her face.

_I'm one step closer to the Key, _she thought. _Things couldn't be better. _She turned her attention to Faith. "Now to business," she said.

_The Labyrinth_

Oz inspected the weld one more time before putting the welder's mask back in place and lighting the torch. Behind him, Talon and Claw checked the chains that they would use to secure Oz to the floor of the cage as an added precaution, while Elisa inspected the tranquilizer rifle.

"Are you sure all of this is really necessary?" Maggie asked.

"I think it is," Oz said, pausing for a moment to remove his mask. "I could have killed Delilah last night. I don't want to take the chance of it happening again." He put the mask back into place and began welding again.

Elisa ran the bolt home on the rifle and pointed the barrel down before pulling the trigger. The sound of compressed air confirmed that the rifle was functioning properly. "I've got tonight off so I'll be keeping an eye on him," she said. "Just to be sure."

"I'm sure Goliath'll love to hear that," Talon said.

"I'll give him a call after he wakes up tonight," she said. "Under the circumstances, I think he'll understand." She walked over and placed the rifle back in place on the wall. "I checked with Demona earlier," she said. "She said that she'd take a look through her books to see if there was something she could come up with to try to keep Oz quiet tonight, but she wasn't making any promises. But she thinks that he might be right about something coming. There's been a lot of crazy activity going on lately, and with the new millenium coming up, she thinks that things could get a lot worse."

"I hope not," Maggie said. "After what happened last year, I'd hate to have to go through something like that a second time."

"Don't worry," Elisa said as she placed her hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we'll find a way of dealing with it. We always have in the past."

"I hope so," Maggie said.

"You hope what?" another voice said. They both turned and found a familiar redhead walking towards them.

"We're hoping that whatever's coming, it won't be as bad as last year, Fox," Elisa said. She paused for a moment. "What are you doing down here, by the way," she added. "If you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all," Fox said. "Goliath said there was some trouble down here last night, but he didn't go into detail about what happened."

"Oz broke out of his cage last night," Elisa said.

"Was anyone hurt?" Fox asked. After Oz took up residence in the Labyrinth back in July, the clan had told David Xanatos and Fox about him, and about his particular 'problem'. While Xanatos himself hadn't talked to Oz as of yet, his wife had felt compelled to get to know him, since she had suffered a similar problem several years earlier.

"He tried to attack Delilah," Elisa said. "But she shot him with the tranquilizer rifle before he had a chance to hurt her or go anywhere."

"That's good," Fox said, sighing with relief. She looked over to where Oz was working on the cage, and Talon and Claw was checking each link of the chain. "They're getting ready for tonight?"

"The night of the full moon," Elisa said. "They want to make sure Oz can't break free again, but..." She hesitated.

"Maybe my mother can help," Fox said, picking up on Elisa's uncertainty. "She might know about something you could use."

"Great," Elisa said. "Now all we have to do is find some way of getting in touch with her."

"Not a problem," Fox said. "She's at the castle right now, spending some time with Alex. I'll head back over there and ask if she knows anything."

"No need," another voice said. Again they turned, and this time, they were surprised to find Titania, the Queen of Avalon, standing before them.

"Were you eavesdropping, mother?" Fox asked.

"In a sense," Titania said. ""When you left the castle, I wondered where you were going. So I had a will o' the wisp follow you to keep an eye on you."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you keeping tabs on me like that, mother," Fox said.

"I keep an eye on you every hour of every day," Fox said. "You are very special to me, and I would do anything to keep you from danger."

"Speaking of which..." Elisa started.

Titania smiled, and waved her hands. Instantly, a coil of golden thread appeared in her hand. "This should suffice for the task," she said.

Elisa looked at the thin thread Titania held in her hand. "What is it?" she asked. "Wonder Woman's golden lasso?"

"No," Titania said. "Are you familiar with the legend of Fenris the wolf?"

"Not really," Elisa said. When she looked at Maggie, she could tell that the feline Mutate was as much in the dark as she was.

"Fenris was supposed to be one of the children of Loki, right?" Fox asked.

"Yes," Titania said. "In the Asgardian legends, Fenris was a creature so strong that no chain could hold him. So Odin commissioned the creation of a special restraint, one that no god could break."

"And that's what this is?" Elisa asked.

"Yes," Titania said. "This is just like the bindings that still hold Fenris today." She handed the coil of golden thread to her daughter. "No god can break this, and nothing forged by man can sever it. It is unbreakable, so I think that it will be enough to keep your werewolf from escaping."

"I hope so," Elisa said.

Titania smiled at her. "You needn't fear, Detective Maza," she said. "Avalon's magic is strong, despite what has been happening of late." She looked at her daughter. "I had best get back to the castle. Owen was just about to put Alex down for a nap, but I promised I would tell him a story. I will see you soon." With that, Titania disappeared from sight.

Fox handed the coil of golden thread to Elisa. "You might want to have Talon take a look at this," she said. "I'm sure that my mother is right, and Oz won't be able to get out of this, but you might want to make sure."

"Right," she said. Turning, she and Maggie headed back to where Talon and Claw were waiting.

Fox paused before looking at the spot where her mother had been standing. She had tried to hide it, but Fox knew that her mother was worried about something. There was _definitely_ something in the air, and if it made Titania nervous, then Fox had every reason to be worried herself.

_December 12, 2000_

_Hyperion Hotel_

_Los Angeles_

The first thing Cordelia did when she came in the door was check to the answering machine. She listened to the messages carefully, making sure to write down the important ones. She looked up when she heard the lobby door open.

"Hey, Wesley," she said with a smile.

"Cordelia," Wesley returned. "Is he in?"

"Haven't checked," she said. She turned and walked into Angel's office. "Nope, not yet. He might still be upstairs."

"It's possible," Wesley said. "It is still early."

"Early for what?" they heard another voice ask. They turned and spotted Detective Kate Lockley walk in through the lobby doors. "Early for your boss? I can see why. The sun is still up."

"If this is about those unpaid parking tickets..." Cordelia started, but Kate cut her off.

"I want him down here," she said. "Now."

"Right," Cordelia said. She quickly went around the counter and headed upstairs.

"Might I ask what this is about?" Wesley asked.

"No," Kate said coldly.

Several minutes later, Cordelia came downstairs. "He's not up there," she said.

"Where is he?" Kate asked.

"I don't know," Cordelia said.

"Then you better find out," Kate snapped.

Cordelia looked at Wesley, a question look in her eyes.

"If we are to find out where Angel went," Wesley said. "Then perhaps you should tell us why you are looking for him."

Kate hesitated for a moment. "Fine," she said. "Faith escaped from prison last night."

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"How?" Wesley added.

"I don't know how," Kate said. "All I know is that she's gone, and obviously now so is Angel. So if you do know where he is, you better tell me now, because if you don't..."

"I know," Wesley said. He remembered being grilled by the police shortly after the incident at the museum, and it was something he didn't want to repeat. "Believe me, detective. If we knew where Angel was, we would tell you. Particularly if Faith were involved. Need I remind you that Faith tortured me, and I was none too happy when Angel gave her shelter afterwards. Faith may have made an effort to reform in recent months, but what she did to me is something I will not soon forget."

Kate sighed, realizing that Wesley was being honest with her. Cordelia Chase was another matter, but from the way the other woman had reacted to the news of Faith's escape, she had a feeling that Cordelia would tell her immediately if she knew where either of them were.

"Fine," she said. "But if you see or hear from either of them, I want you to let me know immediately."

"Don't worry," Cordelia said. "We will."

They watched as Kate walked out the door, and they both breathed a sigh of relief when she left.

_Caritas_

"So, Bernie. Do you think you can fix it?"

Bernie looked up at the green-skinned demon standing in front of the stage, a look of worry on his face. "I think so," he said as he turned his attention back to the task at hand. "If I'm right," he continued. "It should be…" He paused for a second, and then pulled out a burned-out circuit board. "Yep, just what I thought," he said, looking at the electronic component. "Let me guess. Nublar got dumped again and you let him sing one of those sad love songs, didn't you?"

"What can I say?" the Host said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's hard to say no to him. The ladies just love listening to him sing, especially when he does Manilow. And besides, I thought it would help him get over the heartache."

"This happens every time he gets dumped," Bernie said as he tossed the circuit board into his tool bag and pulled out a new one. "He gets emotional, starts to cry, ands ends up shorting out himself and anything electrical he happens to be within five feet of." He began to install the new board. "Ya gotta quit letting him get up on the stage, pal," he continued. "One of these days, he's gonna end up starting an electrical fire in this place, and then where will you be?"

"I know, Bernie," the Host said. "But ya gotta admit, when he starts singing Manilow…" He stopped when he heard the door open. He turned and saw an attractive blonde enter the nightclub. "I'm sorry, miss," he said. "We won't be open for another few hours…"

The woman hesitated for just a moment as she caught sight of the Host, but then she continued in his direction. "That's all right," she said as she reached into her purse and pulled out her badge. "I'm not here for the entertainment."

The Host paused as he considered the police badge. "What can I do for you, officer…"

"Detective," she said, her voice carrying an edge to it that caused the Host to worry. "Detective Kate Lockley. But I'm sure you already knew that."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But the name doesn't ring a bell…"

"I'm sure Angel's mentioned me on one or more occasions," she said harshly.

_Oh boy, _he thought. _So this is the cop that's got the big hate-on for my boy._ He turned his attention back to Bernie. "Ah, Bernie. Why don't you come by later and I'll write you a check…"

"Right," Bernie said, already feeling the tension in the air. He quickly packed up his tool bag and started off the stage.

"Hold it right there," Kate said, causing Bernie to stop in his tracks. "Let's see some I.D. first."

"Is that really necessary?" the Host asked. "After all, he's a working stiff, same as any other guy…"

"It's okay," Bernie said as he set down his tool bag and pulled out his wallet. "She's only doing her job." He pulled his driver's license out of his wallet and handed it to her.

"Bernard Casper," she said, reading the name aloud. "Got any priors?"

"No," he said.

"Then why are you in such a big hurry to leave?"

"I don't like standing on this leg for long periods of time," he said, patting his left leg. He then reached down and pulled up the pants leg. Kate flinched when she saw that his lower leg had been replaced with a prosthetic limb.

"How…" she started to ask.

"I lost it on a call," he said. "I used to work for the L.A. Fire Department and I got trapped in a structure fire back in '89."

"I'm sorry," Kate said, sheepishly handing Bernie back his I.D. "I didn't realize…"

"It's okay," he said, putting the license back in his wallet and then putting the wallet in his back pocket. "Like I said already, you're just doing your job." He picked up his tool bag. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, mentally kicking herself. She watched as Bernie left the nightclub, showing only the barest trace of a limp as he headed for the door. When the door closed, she turned her attention to the Host. "Where is he?"

"You're going to have to be more specific..." the Host started, but then Kate fixed him with an icy glare. "Right," he said. "I should have known. You mean Angel."

"Yeah," Kate said. "Where is he? I'm guessing if anyone would know where he is, it'd be one of his own kind."

"You didn't check with his people?" the Host asked.

"If you mean Chase and Pryce, I did talk to them," she said. "Extensively. They either don't know or don't want to tell me."

"Then I don't know what help I can be..." he started, but the look on Kate's face stopped him.

"I know that your kind tends to stick together," she said pointedly, causing the Host to frown as he fixed on the words _your kind_. "So you can't tell me that you don't know where he went."

"Actually, I can," the Host said. "All I do is run the bar and read people when they sing. I'm not a travel agent."

"Read people?" Kate asked, a hint of confusion on her face.

"I'm anagogic," he said. When he saw the look of confusion on Kate's face, he quickly continued. "That means psychic. I can see into people's futures, and give them a heads-up on what's in store for them."

"Really," Kate said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "And what do you get in return for this 'service'?"

"I'm not that kind of demon, detective," he said. "Believe me, if I wanted to charge people for the readings I do, I'd be making more money than Miss Cleo. I'm not in it for the money," he said, pausing for a second as he saw the expression on her face. "Or the souls, if that's what you're thinking. All I want to do is help people down the right path."

"So you have no idea where Angel is," she said, although the Host could still detect the hint of doubt in her voice.

"No," he said. "Believe me, if I knew where Angel was, I would tell you." He paused for a moment. "Can I ask why you're so all-fired up on finding him?" he asked. "I mean, if he's in some kind of trouble..."

"That's none of your concern," Kate said. She looked long and hard at the green-skinned demon, trying to catch him in a lie, but she realized that he truly didn't know where Angel was. She sighed. "I'm getting nowhere here," she said finally. "Obviously, you don't know where Angel is."

"I did say that to begin with," the Host said.

"But you will let me know if you hear from him," she said, pulling out a card and beginning to get up. "Or if anyone says they know where he is."

The Host took the card and looked it over. "Of course," he said. As Kate walked away, he pocketed the card. "Detective," he called out.

Kate paused for a minute, turning to look at him. "What?" she asked.

"I said I don't know where Angel is," he said. "But I can help point you in the right direction."

"How?" Kate asked, a sense of suspicion creeping over her.

"I told you that I was psychic," he said. "That I can read people when they sing. All you have to do is sing."

Kate crossed her arms across her chest. "I am not performing..."

"There's no one here," the Host said, indicating the empty bar. He paused for a moment. "Look," he said. "I want to help any way I can. But if you don't sing, I won't be able to point you in the right direction. You don't even have to say the words," he added. "Just hum a few bars of your favorite tune. I'll still be able to read you."

Kate sighed in exasperation. "Fine," she said. She took a deep breath and began to sing. _"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. If one of those bottles should happen to fall..."_

"Okay, okay," the Host said. "No more, please. Why is it that every cop that comes in here ends up singing that song?" He looked at Kate. "I was hoping for something by Sheena Easton or Juice Newton." He sighed in disappointment.

"Well?" Kate asked pointedly.

The Host looked at her. "There's a girl," he said. "Blonde, about this tall." He raised his hand until it was approximately level with Kate's shoulder. "She lives in Sunnydale. She probably won't be able to tell you exactly where he is, but she can lead you to him."

"A blonde," Kate said. "Do you know how many blonde girls there are in Sunnydale?"

"Not offhand, no," he said. "But I think you'll be able to track this one down. You've already met her once. Her name is Buffy Summers. She and Angel have a history." He paused for a moment. "But if I were you, I'd take a little friendly advice. Let this one go."

"You can't be serious," Kate said.

"I am," he said. "Like I said, I try to help people down the right path. But if you stay on the path you're on right now, you're going to end up destroying yourself." He took a cautious step towards Kate. "I see darkness ahead," he said. "Both for you and Angel. If you try to go after Angel, you'll only end up making things worse."

"Believe me," Kate said. "Things couldn't get any worse than they already are." Before the Host could say anything else, she quickly turned and left the club.

The Host sighed as he heard the door close. After a few minutes, he walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "You're wrong, detective," he said. "Things could get a lot worse." He downed the drink and poured himself another, hoping that he could eventually banish the images he had seen.

_Kate, lying on the floor, a half empty bottle of whiskey lying next to an open bottle of sleeping pills... _

_December 14, 2000_

_Summers' home_

_Sunnydale_

"Hey, mom," Buffy called out as she walked down the hallway towards her mother's bedroom. "I need to ask you..." She stopped when she entered the room and saw an open suitcase on the bed. Off to one side, her mother was taking things out of the closet. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Good, you're home," Joyce said, a big smile on her face. "I need you to go pack a bag." She quickly folded the blouses she had taken off the hangers and placed them in the suitcase. "Dawn, are you almost ready?" she called out.

"Just about," Buffy heard her sister say.

"Mom, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"What's it look like, sweetie?" Joyce asked.

"It looks like you're planning on going somewhere," Buffy said, still confused by what was going on.

"Right," Joyce said. "And if you don't hurry and pack a bag, you're going to get left behind." She hurried into the bathroom and began gathering a few essentials. When she came out, Buffy was still in the bedroom, trying to figure out what was going on. "What are you waiting for?" she asked.

"An explanation would be nice," Buffy said. "What's going on?"

"Isn't it great?" Dawn said as she hurried into the bedroom, all smiles. "We're going to be spending Christmas in one of the ritziest hotels on the East Coast. And we don't have to pay for a thing."

Buffy's eyes went wide. "We're going to do what where?" she asked.

"Ms. Destine called the gallery this morning," Joyce said. "An artist named Andrea Calhoun is having a special art showing on Christmas, and Ms. Destine invited us to attend."

"Isn't it great?" Dawn chimed in. "And Ms. Destine's paying for the entire trip. She's even sending her corporate jet to pick us up at the airport. It is so cool!"

"Uh...great," Buffy said, stunned by the news. "That's great, mom. Really." She paused for a moment. "I'm sure the two of you will have a wonderful time."

"Buffy..." her mother started, but then Buffy turned to her sister. "Why don't you take your bags downstairs and I'll help Mom finish packing hers."

"Okay," Dawn said, her enthusiasm not the least bit diminished by Buffy's subdued tone. As soon as she was out the door, Buffy heard Dawn racing down the stairs. "And no running in the house!" she called out. She then sighed and turned to her mother. "I can't go," she said.

"Buffy..." Joyce started.

"I know, mom," she said. "I would love to go and spend Christmas with you and Dawn in New York, but I can't. I have responsibilities here."

"You'd think the forces of evil would give you at least a couple of days off every now and then," Joyce said.

"Yeah, well," Buffy said. "The only holiday they seem to want to give me is Halloween, and even then, I end up working anyway."

"Seems to me like you need to renegotiate your contract," Joyce said, a hint of a smile crossing her face.

Buffy couldn't help but return the smile. "Or maybe I should have had a lawyer look it over before I signed on the dotted line," she said. That brought an even wider smile on her mother's face, and for a moment, Buffy let go of her worries. "Come on," she said. "Let's finish packing..."

"Are you going?" Joyce asked.

"I can't," Buffy said. When her mother's smile started to turn to a frown, Buffy quickly continued. "Giles thinks that something is coming, and as much as I would love to be with you and Dawn in New York, I can't. I have to stay here."

"Fine," Joyce said. She reached into the suitcase and began to pull out the blouses. "Then I guess I'm just going to have to call Ms. Destine back and cancel..."

"Don't do that!" Buffy quickly said, reaching out and snatching the blouse from her mother's hand and tossing it back into the suitcase. "You and Dawn should go to New York. In fact, I insist that you go."

"You insist, huh?" Joyce said.

"Yeah," Buffy said. Then she cast an ear towards the door to make sure that Dawn wasn't eavesdropping. "The truth is," she continued, lowering her voice. "Dawn would probably be safer in New York than here right now. And I'd feel a hell of a lot better if the two of you were out of town for a while."

"You think it's that bad?" Joyce asked.

Buffy hesitated before answering. "Yeah," she said. "I really do."

Joyce sighed heavily. "I was hoping that the thing with the mayor was going to be a one-time thing," she said. "That you weren't going to have to face another...what was it you called it?"

"An Ascension," Buffy said.

"Right," Joyce said. "An Ascension. I thought you weren't going to have to face another one of those..."

"I don't think that's what this is," Buffy said. "But Giles is convinced that it's something real bad, and with what's been going on with Glory..."

"That's the woman that you keep talking about, right?" Joyce asked. "The one that's looking for Dawn?"

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Whatever's going to happen, I don't want to run the risk of Glory using it to figure out that Dawn's the Key."

"And you think we'd be safer in New York," Joyce stated.

"I really do," Buffy said. "I mean, you're going to be on the other side of the country with one of the most powerful sorceresses on the planet..."

"Is Willow going to New York?" Joyce asked, surprised.

"No," Buffy said. "I'm talking about Demo...I mean Ms. Destine. I told you before that she knows a lot about magic. If anyone can protect you and Dawn from Glory, it'd be her." She hesitated for a moment. "Don't worry, mom," she said. "Whatever this thing is that's coming, I'll deal with it, just like I have everything else." Then she smiled. "And I'll still have time to wrap presents and have 'em under the tree before the two of you get back."

"If you say so," Joyce sighed, not convinced. She had a feeling that there was something that Buffy wasn't telling her. It wouldn't be the first time her daughter had kept secrets from her, her destiny as the Slayer notwithstanding, but she was certain that if there was something that Buffy needed to tell her, she would eventually. "Buffy..." she started.

"Buffy!" Dawn called out from downstairs. "There's someone here to see you!"

"Just a minute!" Buffy called out. "I'll be right down!" She cast a look towards the suitcase, still open. "Why don't you finish packing and I'll see who's at the door."

"Okay," Joyce said, leaving what she wanted to ask her daughter unfinished. She turned her attention back to her suitcase. She knew the plane would not arrive for a few more hours, and that would give her plenty of time to ask what her daughter was worried about.

Buffy left her mother's room, satisfied in the knowledge that her mother and Dawn would soon be out of harm's way. She quickly headed downstairs to see who had come to see her. For a brief second, she hoped that it was Riley, returned from wherever it was he had disappeared to, but she realized that it was highly unlikely. Riley Finn was gone from her life, and she had to accept that.

As she descended the stairs, she saw Dawn closing the front door.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Looks like your past has finally caught up with you, sis," Dawn said, casting a quick glance into the living room.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked. She turned as she reached the bottom of the stairs and started into the living room. "Who..." she started, but then she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Hello, Miss Summers," Detective Lockley said. "I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me."

"Like what?" Buffy asked, after finally getting over the shock of seeing the detective who had arrested Angel standing in her mother's living room.

"You can start by telling me where he is," Kate said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"You know who I'm talking about," Kate said.

"Honestly, I really don't know..." Buffy started nervously, but then she heard her mother coming down the stairs.

"Buffy, do you know where my lavender..." she started, but then she paused when she saw Kate standing in the living room. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Mrs. Summers?" Kate asked. "I'm Detective Kate Lockley, LAPD." She paused long enough to pull out her badge and show it to Joyce. "I'm here to ask your daughter a few questions."

Joyce looked at Buffy for a moment. "About what?" she asked.

"Angel," Kate said. She looked at Buffy. "Where is he?"

_Manhattan_

Elisa was driving down the street, her partner Matt Bluestone sitting in the seat next to her, slowly shaking his head.

"Man, I'm getting too old for this," he said.

Elisa smiled at her partner. "Tell me about it," she said. "It's seems as if we're always stuck in a 'battle for the fate of the world'. If it's not Demona trying to wipe out humanity with a killer virus, it's rogue Unseelie trying to take over Avalon." She shook her head. "What I wouldn't give for a nice, quiet..."

She stopped as she saw someone leap through the plate glass window of a local store. She stomped on the brakes as the suspect dashed into the street in front of her, trying to avoid hitting him. The Fairlane skidded, but Elisa managed to get control of the car as the tires bit through the light covering of slush on the street. As soon as the car came to a halt, Matt jumped out and headed for the store.

"I'll check on the store owner," he called out.

"Right," Elisa said. She threw the car into gear and gave chase to the fleeing suspect.

Matt entered the store, his weapon drawn in case there was someone else lying in wait. He found Mr. Jaffe, the storeowner, lying on his side behind the counter. He quickly holstered his gun as he rushed to the older man's side.

"Mr. Jaffe, you okay?" he asked as he placed his hand on the other's shoulder.

Mr. Jaffe groaned. Matt hesitantly turned him over. He winced as he caught sight of the blood on the side of his throat. "Oh, man," Matt said. "Lie still. I'll call for an ambulance." He pulled out his cell phone.

Jaffe sat up and put his hand to his throat. "It's okay, Matt," he said. "He didn't..." He stopped as he felt wetness on his hand. He looked at it and saw the blood. Then he started feeling dizzy. "Or maybe he did."

"Keep still, Mr. Jaffe," Matt said. "Ambulance'll be here in a few minutes." He took Jaffe's apron off and pressed it against the wound. _Not very sterile,_ he thought. _But it's better than letting him bleed to death. _"What happened?"

"Guy came in," Jaffe said. "Tried to rob the place. But when I started to open the register, he said that wasn't what he wanted."

That caught Matt by surprise. "A robber who's not interested in money?" he said. "That's a new one. What was it he wanted?"

"That's the weird thing," Jaffe said. "When I asked him, he said, 'Your blood.' And that's when his...face...changed."

"What do you mean 'changed'?" Matt asked.

"I mean it changed," Jaffe said. "One minute it was normal, the next, it was like something out of a horror movie. And then he jumped me. He...bit me."

Matt removed the apron to get a better look at the wound. The bleeding had slowed, and Matt was able to get a good look at the bite marks on Jaffe's neck. Bite marks of a type only a vampire would leave.

"Oh, Christ!" he cursed. "Elisa!"

Elisa watched as the suspect ducked into an alley. After blocking the entrance with her car, she called for back-up, then headed into the alley on her own. She was hoping that Goliath would be in the area and give her a hand, but it was close to sunrise, so it was possible that he and the rest of the clan were already back at the Eyrie Building, getting ready for their stone sleep. _Too bad I can't be there with them, _she thought. _But this guy almost caused me to wreck my car, and I'm not going to let that slide. _She drew her gun and walked into the alley.

"All right," she called out. "I know you're in here. I've got back-up on the way and there's no other way out of this alley, so you might as well give yourself up right now."

For a few moments, there was silence. It was unnerving. Then, finally, a voice called out. "Okay, okay. Ya got me," she heard him say.

"Put your hands up," Elisa challenged. "And step out where I can see you."

She saw a pair of hands appear from behind a dumpster. Then the suspect stepped out and faced her.

"Well, officer," he said. "You got me right where I want you."

Elisa smiled slightly. "I think you've got that backwards," she said. "Come on, step into the light."

"I don't think you want me to do that," he said.

Now Elisa frowned. "If you don't do as I say..."

The suspect stepped forward. "Okay," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you." He stepped into the light.

Elisa gasped as she caught sight of the suspect's face. It was misshapen, and she could see a set of fangs in his smile. "What the hell..." she started.

The moment of shock was all the vampire needed to get the drop on her. He rushed forward and tackled her. Her gun was knocked out of her hand, and his hand clamped on her throat.

"Like I said," the vampire said. "You've got me right where I want you." He smiled as she struggled in his grip, trying to get free. "You know, you're probably going to taste a hell of a lot sweeter than that old man did," he said as he shifted his grip on her, pulling her close and pulling her head to one side in order to expose her throat. He looked towards the street. "And with the sun about to come up, I won't have to worry about those damned gargoyles interrupting my breakfast."

Elisa's eyes went wide in terror as she realized what was going to happen, and she screamed as she felt the vampire's fangs sink into her throat.

_To be continued... _


	3. Ill Winds

Hellmouth: Manhattan

Ill Winds

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: Original Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vistas Studios. Buffy, Angel, and other related characters are the property of Warner Bros. Other Gargoyle characters are the property of The Gargoyle Saga (TGS) writing staff. All characters are being used without permission of their creators.

Note: This series takes place between the 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer' fifth season episodes 'Triangles' and 'Checkpoint', and the 'Angel' second season episodes 'The Shroud of Rahmon' and 'The Trial'.

_Previously..._

Angel set the container containing the Scroll of Aberjin down on the desk and pulled the sheathed dagger out of his belt, looking at the ornately carved hilt for a moment before returning it to its former position. If all went as he hoped, his bloodlust would soon be permanently purged, and he could once again live a normal life.

As a human.

"Any idea when this, whatever it is, is going to happen?" Buffy asked.

"Not really," Giles said. "I'm going to have to call Una and consult with her, see if she can give me any additional insight. She is the one who did the initial reading on the cards." She looked at his watch. "Still a few hours before sunrise over there. I should be able to get all the information I need from her to determine what it is we could be facing." He looked at Buffy. "But if I am right, we could be facing an entirely new brand of evil, and we may not be able to stop it."

"And you think that Maeve can help me find the Key," Glory said.

"She is the Mistress of Dreams," Lindsey said. "Once you free her from Avalon, I'm sure she'd be willing to take a peek into the Slayer's dreams and find out where the Key is hidden."

"And what does Wolfram and Hart get out of this?" Glory asked.

"The senior partners also have a vested interest in seeing you return to your own dimension," he said as he closed his briefcase. "They have a few projects in the works, and your presence in this dimension is...complicating matters."

"Mrs. Summers?" Kate asked. "I'm Detective Kate Lockley, LAPD." She paused long enough to pull out her badge and show it to Joyce. "I'm here to ask your daughter a few questions."

Joyce looked at Buffy for a moment. "About what?" she asked.

"Angel," Kate said. She looked at Buffy. "Where is he?"

Elisa's eyes went wide in terror as she realized what was going to happen, and she screamed as she felt the vampire's fangs sink into her throat.

_Hellmouth: Manhattan_

_The Coming Storm_

_December 14, 2000_

_Manhattan_

Elisa felt herself going numb as the vampire gorged himself on her blood. She didn't have any thoughts about trying to get away; she was already weak from loss of blood, and the vampire wasn't giving any indications that he had satisfied his hunger. She felt him shift his grip on her slightly, then bite down again. _I'm sorry, Goliath,_ she thought in despair. _Sorry I didn't..._

The vampire suddenly stopped feeding, and Elisa felt him pull back. She looked at him and caught the surprised expression on his face an instant before he fell into a pile of dust.

Elisa felt herself falling to the ground, but then she was caught by a pair of powerful arms. Her eyes followed the arms up to what she thought had to be the hottest-looking hunk she had ever seen in her life. He lifted her slightly, then grimaced as he caught sight of the vicious bite marks on her throat.

"Looks like I got to you just in time," her handsome rescuer said.

"Who..." she said weakly.

"My name's Angel," he said.

"Angel?" she asked, barely holding onto consciousness. "I think I know..."

"Elisa!" she heard another voice call out. Her head turned limply towards the street and saw her partner running towards her just before she lost consciousness.

Matt ran up to them, and stopped as he caught sight of Angel cradling her still form. "Oh, Christ! No!" he cried out.

"It's okay, Matt," Angel said. "She's still alive. I got to her before he finished feeding."

Matt looked around, trying to locate the vampire who had bitten Mr. Jaffe, and who Elisa had chased into the alley. "Where is he?" he asked.

"Dust," Angel said. He carefully lifted Elisa's still form in his arms. "We need to get her to a hospital," he said as he started towards the street, but stopped as he caught sight of the emerging daylight. "I can't..."

Matt ran towards Elisa's Fairlane and quickly backed it into the alley. Angel carefully set the unconscious detective into the back seat, but hesitated before climbing in himself. Matt assumed that his hesitancy was caused by the daylight, which he knew was deadly to vampires, and quickly retrieved the emergency blanket from the trunk of the car, passing it to the vampire. Angel got into the back seat with Elisa and covered both himself and her with the blanket.

Matt looked into the back seat, making certain that Angel was covered with the blanket, and then threw the car into gear. Within seconds, he was tearing down the street, heading for one particular destination.

The ride wasn't easy for Angel. The scent of Elisa's blood was powerful underneath the blanket, and Angel had to make a conscious effort not to give into the bloodlust. Several times, he felt his features shifting as the demon inside him fought to take over as he heard Elisa unconsciously whimper, and he angrily battled it back. _He was **not **going to give in to the bloodlust. Not again... _Angel cautiously looked out from underneath the blanket as he felt the car come to a sudden halt and saw that they had stopped in an underground parking garage near a bank of elevators. "Wait a minute," he said. "This isn't..."

Matt was already out of the car and lifted Elisa's frighteningly light form in his arms. "We need to get her upstairs," he said.

"Where are we?" Angel asked as he got out of the car.

"The Eyrie Building," Matt said. He handed Elisa to Angel, then took off towards the elevators.

Angel quickly followed Matt, then paused for a second as he looked down at the woman in his arms. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Positive," Matt said. He turned as one particular set of elevator doors opened and he quickly ushered Angel inside. "This will take us straight up to the castle." He paused as he looked at his unconscious partner. "I just hope we get up there in time."

David Xanatos was waiting for them as Matt stepped off the elevator, a gurney and a pair of doctors at his side.

"What happened to her?" he asked.

"Vampire," Matt said, not even bothering to ask how Xanatos knew they were on their way up, or that Elisa would need medical attention. _He probably saw us on the monitors._

Xanatos started to motion the doctors forward, then paused when he saw Angel standing in the elevator, unable to enter the castle. "Who..." he started.

"This is Angel," Matt said.

"I see," Xanatos said knowingly. _So this is the vampire with a soul, _he thought. "You're welcome to come in," he said quickly.

Angel hesitated for a moment, looking at the windows on the east wall of the Main Hall. Xanatos caught the look of uncertainty in Angel's eyes and went over to his desk. He pressed a button on the desk, and solid steel shutters slid in place across the windows, blocking the daylight.

"Sorry about that," Xanatos said. "I forgot that vampires have a problem with daylight."

"That's all right," Angel said as he quickly stepped out of the elevator and carefully laid Elisa's still form on the gurney. The doctors quickly secured her in place, and then just as quickly disappeared with her.

"Is she..." Xanatos started.

"She'll live," Angel said, noticeably relaxing once she was out of sight. "The vampire who attacked her wasn't able to drain her completely, and I didn't give him the chance to turn her."

"So she's going to make it," Xanatos sighed. "Goliath'll be happy to hear that."

"Who?" Angel asked. Then he looked at Matt. "Wait a minute," he said. "Would that be..."

"Yeah," Matt said. "Elisa and Goliath are pretty much joined at the hip," he added. "So I'm sure he'll be happy to know that you saved her life."

"I take it the two of you know each other," Xanatos said.

"Yeah," Matt said. "We met in Los Angeles a few months ago during an incident involving Thailog."

"So that's where he disappeared to," Xanatos said. "I'm sure Demona's going to be happy to hear about that."

"She already knows," Angel said.

"You know Demona?" Xanatos asked.

"They have a history," Matt said.

"Interesting," Xanatos said, stroking his chin. "May I ask..."

"No," Angel said. He looked around the Great Hall. "If you don't mind, Mr. Xanatos. I need someplace to stay during the day. I'm not what you'd call a 'morning person'."

"Perfectly understandable," he said. "If you'll come with me, I'll have Owen show you to a room where you can spend the day." He paused for a moment as he considered the vampire. "One without windows."

"Thank you," he said.

"I'll be back in a little while to check on Elisa," Matt said. "I need to head back to the station to fill out the report on the robbery."

Xanatos lifted an eyebrow in confusion, but let Matt's statement pass. _Whatever happened, I'll find out about it later, _he thought. After watching Matt disappear back into the elevator, he turned his attention back towards Angel. "Now, let's see about that room," he said.

_Summer's home_

_Sunnydale, California_

"Angel?" Joyce asked. She looked at her daughter. "We haven't seen him. Not for a long time, as a matter of fact."

"I know your daughter had contact with him when she was in Los Angeles a few months ago," Kate said. She turned her attention back to Buffy. "I need to know if you've seen him since then. Especially in the past few weeks."

"No, I haven't," Buffy said flatly, even though he had shown up in Sunnydale a few days following her confrontation with him in Los Angeles. "Angel and I went our separate ways a long time ago, detective."

"Right after she got a new boyfriend," Dawn chimed in. "But...he did break up with her a few weeks ago and..."

Buffy turned and shot a furious gaze at her sister that caused Dawn to close her mouth. "I haven't seen or heard from Angel in months," she told Kate. "If he's not in Los Angeles, then I don't know where he is." She took a long look at Kate. "Why?" she asked. "What sort of trouble is he in this time?"

"There's been an escape," she said. "Faith. She escaped from a maximum-security facility a few days ago."

That caused a gasp to escape from Joyce. "Faith escaped from prison?" she asked.

Kate caught the sound of nervousness in Joyce's voice. "Yes," she said. "Has she had any contact with you over the past few days?"

"N...no," Joyce said. "Believe me, we would tell you if we had."

"The last time Faith was here," Dawn said harshly. "She threatened us with a knife. She won't be coming back here because she knows that Buffy'd kick her ass just like the last time."

"So you haven't seen either her or Angel then," Kate stated.

"No," Buffy said. "Like I said, I haven't seen Angel in months. Or Faith, for that matter." She paused for a moment. "What makes you think that Angel might know something about her escape?"

"Prison records show that he's visited her several times over the past few months," she said. "In fact, he's pretty much been the only person to visit her since her arrest. So it makes sense that he'd be the primary suspect."

"And no one else has tried to see her?" Buffy asked.

"No," Kate said. "Like I said, Angel's the only one who's been in to see her."

"How do you think he got her out of the slammer?" Dawn asked.

Kate looked at Dawn. "We...we're still trying to figure that out," she admitted. "All we do know is that she received a package just before she disappeared. It had a Los Angeles postmark on the front, but no return address."

"So you really don't have any proof that Angel had something to do with Faith's disappearance," Buffy said.

"Listen," Kate said. "I know that you and Angel have some kind of history." She paused for a moment. "But I don't think you know just how dangerous..."

"What happened to your neck?" Dawn asked.

Kate turned her head to glare at Dawn, even as she brought up her hand to try to cover the bite marks on her neck. But Buffy had already seen the marks. "Who..." she started.

Kate looked back at Buffy. "Angel," she said flatly.

"But I didn't think Angel drank human blood anymore," Dawn said, which earned her a sharp look from her sister.

"You know?" Kate asked, surprised.

Buffy looked back at her. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I've known about who and what Angel was for a long time." She turned her attention back to her mother and sister. "Can you give us a couple of minutes, mom?" she asked. "I think this is something..."

"I understand, honey," Joyce said. "Come on, Dawn," she then said, taking her youngest daughter by the arm.

"But I want to..." Dawn protested.

"Now," Joyce said.

Dawn let out an exasperated sigh, but then let her mother lead her out of the living room. As soon as she heard her mother leading Dawn upstairs, Buffy turned her attention back to Kate. "How long have you known?" she asked.

"A year," she said. "I found out just before my father died."

"So you knew that Angel was a vampire before I showed up in Los Angeles," Buffy said.

"Yes," Kate said. "When did you find out?"

"Four years ago," she said. "A few months after I met him. And believe me, I pretty much freaked when I found out. But after I got to know him..." She paused for a moment. "I know that you probably have every reason in the world not to like Angel, but I've known him for a lot longer than you, detective, so I think that I know him better..."

"No, you don't," Kate said sharply. "Probably the only thing you know about vampires is what you've seen in the movies."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "You have absolutely no idea who I am, do you?" she asked.

"No, I don't," she said. "What are you, some kind of superhero?"

"I'm the Slayer," Buffy said. When she caught the confused look on Kate's face, she continued. "Do you know what a Slayer is, detective?" she asked.

"No, not really," she said.

"But you know what Angel is," Buffy stated.

"I found out when one of his prize pupils blew into Los Angeles and called him 'Angelus'," Kate said. "After that, it was real easy finding out what kind of monster he is."

"What kind of monster he used to be," Buffy countered. "He has a soul now, detective."

"And that's supposed makes a difference," Kate challenged. "I've met a lot of people with souls that have done things just as bad as what he's done in the past. Just because he has a soul now doesn't mean he's no longer a killer." When Buffy began to protest, she cut her off. "I know that from personal experience," she said, pointing towards the bite marks on her neck.

"So do I," Buffy countered. She reached up with both hands and pushed the hair away from her neck. Kate's eyes went wide when she saw not just one, but three sets of bite marks on her throat.

"Angel?" she asked.

"Angel," Buffy said as she let her hair fall back into place. "The Master. Even Dracula if you can believe it. You're not the only person who's been attacked by a vampire and lived to talk about it."

"When did Angel attack you?" Kate asked.

"He didn't attack me," Buffy countered. "I made him do this." She paused for a moment when she saw the look of confusion on Kate's face. "Faith poisoned him last year, detective. She shot him in the back with an arrow that was coated with a poison that kills vampires. And the only way to cure him was to let him drain the blood of a Slayer."

"Which is..." Kate asked.

"Which is what I am," Buffy stated. "I'm human, detective. I have been since the day I was born. But I also had a destiny, a destiny to fight vampires and demons and God knows what else until the day I die." She paused for a second when she heard the phone ring, but then turned her attention back to Kate when she heard her mother pick it up. "You're a good cop, detective. But this is something that is way out of your league. You're not prepared to deal with the things I face on a daily basis. Wherever Angel is, and whatever he's gotten himself into, let me handle it. It's what I do."

"There is no way I'm walking away from this," Kate said.

"You will if you want to keep on breathing," Buffy countered.

"That sounds like a threat," Kate said heatedly.

"It's not," Buffy quickly said. "It's a simple fact of life. If you insist on going after Angel or Faith, you're going to end up getting yourself killed, and anyone else who happens..."

"Buffy," her mom said as she came back into the living room, the cordless phone clutched in her hand. "Giles is on the phone."

"This really isn't a good time..." she started.

"He said it's important."

Buffy stepped over to her mother, taking the phone from her as she cast a cautious eye towards Kate. "Yeah?" she answered.

Kate listened intently as Buffy talked on the phone. Her eyes drifted towards the phone that sat on the corner table by the couch, but she set aside any thoughts of picking it up. "What did he want?" she heard Buffy ask as the young girl turned her attention towards Kate for just a second to make sure she wasn't close enough to overhear what was being said. Then she caught the look of surprise on Buffy's face as she listened to Giles' reply.

"How does he know about Demona?" Buffy asked.

Kate immediately started for the front door. _I should have known she'd be involved in this somehow, _she thought angrily as she rushed past Joyce. Joyce watched as Kate stormed out the door, but when she turned to ask her daughter what was wrong, Buffy quickly shoved the phone back into her hand and took off after the detective.

"Detective Lockley," Buffy said as she followed Kate off the porch. "Detective Lockley, wait!"

Kate was halfway to her car when Buffy caught up to her. Buffy grabbed her by the arm, but Kate quickly spun around, breaking her hold. "Are you looking to spend some time behind bars?" she warned. "Because that's something I can arrange real easily."

Buffy retreated slightly, putting some distance between herself and Kate. "I wasn't going to try anything, detective," she said. "I just wanted..."

"You wanted to warn me about Demona, right?" she asked. "You wanted to tell me to stay away from her?" When Buffy hesitated, Kate pressed on. "I appreciate the concern, but I don't need it. I know all about Demona. Who she is. What she is. What she's done. I should've known she'd have something to do with Faith's disappearance, since she and Angel seemed pretty cozy when she showed up in Los Angeles a few months ago."

Buffy's eyes went wide in surprise. Demona hadn't said anything to her about any kind of history with Angel during her visit to Sunnydale back in May. Angel certainly didn't say anything about Demona when he showed up in Sunnydale just before her final confrontation with Adam...

Kate saw the surprised look on Buffy's face. "For someone who says she knows all there is to know about Angel, you look pretty surprised about this."

"I..." Buffy started hesitantly, but then she quickly mastered her surprise. "Angel never talked a lot about his past," she said. "What he did in the past was brutal and vicious, and he hated what he used to be."

"So he says," Kate countered. "Personally, I've seen what Angel is capable of..."

Buffy fixed Kate with a penetrating glare. "You've got no idea what he's capable of, detective," she said. "You've never seen Angel without his soul. I have. I've _seen_ Angelus, up close and personal. You might think you caught a glimpse of what Angel used to be when he bit you, but I can tell you from personal experience that it was nothing compared to what he's done as Angelus."

Kate frowned. "I should've known I wouldn't get any real help from you," she said angrily. "You obviously can't look past your feelings for Angel to see what kind of monster he really is."

"Angel is not..."

"Yes, he is!" Kate snapped. "And believe me, once I catch up to him, I'm going to make his life a living hell. And God help anyone who gets in my way." She turned and walked to her car. For a brief instant, Buffy considered trying to stop her, but she stayed where she was when she saw a patrol car cruise by. As much as she wanted to keep Kate from going after Angel, the last thing she needed was for the Sunnydale PD see her get into a fight with the L.A. detective, and she knew she wouldn't be of much use to Angel locked up in jail. As soon as Kate's car pulled away from the curb, she started back towards the house.

Her mother was standing by door, the phone still clutched in her hand. Buffy took it from her as she closed the door and held it up to her ear.

"Yeah, I'm here, Giles," she said. "I'll be there in a little while." As soon as she heard him break the connection, she handed the phone back to her mother. "I'll see you later," she said as she started for the door.

"What's going on, Buffy?" Joyce asked.

Buffy stopped before she reached the front door. "It...it's nothing, mom," she said hesitantly.

"Don't give me that," Joyce said. "I'm your mother, Buffy. I know when something's bothering you, so you might as well tell me what it is." She looked at the door. "It has something to do with what that detective wanted, right?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly. "No. I don't know. Mom, this is one of those things that you have to trust me on. If I had time, I'd tell you, but I don't because..."

"The fate of the world is at stake," Joyce said.

"Yeah," Buffy said.

Joyce sighed. "Then I guess our trip to New York is going to have to be cancelled..."

"No way," Buffy said. "The two of you are going to New York even if I have to hog-tie you and carry you onto the plane myself." She paused for a minute. "What does that mean anyway, 'hog-tie'? How do you tie up a hog? I mean they've got those short, stubby little legs..." She paused when she saw her mother smiling at her. "What?" she asked.

"You always do that," she said.

"Do what?" Buffy asked.

"Make jokes when you're nervous," Joyce said. "Especially when there's something you don't want me worrying about. I caught on to that act a long time ago, Buffy. Please, tell me what's going on."

Buffy sighed. "Mom, I really wish I could, but I can't. There's not enough time. You and Dawn go to New York, and when you get back..."

"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Joyce said.

"Mom..." Buffy started to protest, but then she paused. "You know what? How about I tell you on the way to New York?"

"I thought you said you had to stay here?" Joyce said, clearly surprised.

"That was before Detective Lockley showed up itching for Angel's scalp," Buffy said. "And if I'm going to have any chance of heading her off, I'm going to have to go with you and Dawn to New York."

"You think that's where Angel went?" Joyce asked.

"I'm pretty sure," she said. "And if he's not there, there's someone there who might be able to help me find him." She cast a glance towards the stairs. "Why don't you pack a bag for me and I'll meet you at the airport. There's something I have to take care of down at the magic shop first."

"Are you sure you want to trust me with that responsibility?" Joyce asked. "I seem to recall your questioning my fashion sense on more than one occasion."

"I think I can trust you, mom," Buffy said. "After all, I was able to get you to stop making those fashion mistakes. And besides, you know that my closet is organized so that everything matches, so I think I'm relatively safe letting you pack."

"If you say so, honey," Joyce said.

"I do," Buffy replied. "As soon as I'm done at the magic shop, I'll meet you at the airport." She turned and quickly headed out the door.

Joyce sighed heavily as she started up the stairs, already dreading the task ahead. Despite her daughter's reassurances, she was nervous about going into her eldest daughter's closet. It wasn't the clothes that made her nervous, it was the _other _items that Buffy tended to secret away in the back of her closet that made her uneasy. Joyce had gone in there once after Buffy disappeared following her fight with Angel in order to figure out where she might have gone. After going through the assortment of stakes, knives, crossbows, axes and other implements of destruction that were in the trunk, Joyce had made the mistake of opening a long wooden packing crate, and paled when she spotted the rocket launcher. She vowed never to go into her daughter's closet again.

"So, what'd they get her for this time?" Dawn asked.

"What?" Joyce asked, then realized what Dawn had asked her. "Nothing," she said. "Buffy's not in trouble."

"Not yet, at least," Dawn replied.

Joyce frowned slightly at Dawn's sarcastic remark, but she decided to overlook it for the time being. "Listen," she said. "I need some help packing another bag."

"Another one?" Dawn asked. "No offense, mom, but I don't think you're going to need that many clothes..."

"It's for Buffy," Joyce said as she started towards Buffy's room.

"I thought Buffy wasn't coming with," Dawn said.

"She changed her mind," Joyce said as she entered the room and crossed to the closet. She hesitated for a second before taking a deep breath and opening the closet. She was instantly thankful when she saw that the packing crate that had held the rocket launcher was gone, and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She reached inside and pulled out a suitcase.

"Why doesn't she pack her own bag?" Dawn asked.

"Because she had to go to the magic shop," Joyce said. "Dawn, please..."

"All right, all right," she said in exasperation. She began taking items out of the closet and tossing them in the suitcase while her mother went through the dresser, carefully selecting undergarments. After a few minutes, Dawn bent down and began pulling the trunk out of the closet. "I suppose she wants us to lug this with us..." she started as she began to open it, but Joyce quickly raced over and slapped her hand on the lid.

"I don't want you going through that," she snapped.

"Why not?" Dawn asked. "I know what's in here. It's not like it's a big secret."

"It's just...I don't want you messing around with the stuff that's in there," she said. "Those things are dangerous. Besides, I don't think they'll let us take it onto the plane."

Dawn let out a frustrated sigh and began shoving the trunk back into the closet. She knew better than to try to argue with her mother. "You're probably right," she said. "And it's not like Buffy's going to be needing it in New York."

Joyce was visibly relieved when she saw Dawn finishing pushing the trunk back in place and then close the closet. She turned back and began sorting the clothes Dawn had tossed into the suitcase.

"I mean, if she needs to do any slaying," Dawn said. "Buffy can always borrow something from Demona. She's been around for almost forever, so she's got to have way more serious weapons than what Buffy's got in that trunk."

Joyce's back was turned to her, so Dawn didn't see her mother visibly pale at her statement. "What?" she gasped.

"Demona," Dawn said. "Angela told me her mother's been around for like a thousand years, so she's got to have some serious hardware in that big house of hers..."

Joyce blanked out the rest of Dawn's statement as she focused on the name she had mentioned. _Demona? Buffy had mentioned the same name when she was on the phone with Rupert. Who..._

Dawn paused as she saw the odd look on her mother's face. "What is it, mom?" she asked.

"Who's Demona?"

_The Magic Box_

"Thank you," Anya said as she handed the bag to the customer. "We appreciate your patronage."

The young woman gave the former vengeance demon a quizzical look before turning to leave. Anya didn't seem to notice it as she put the money into the cash register and closed the drawer.

"So Wesley didn't have any idea why Angel might suddenly take off for New York?" Buffy asked as she sat at the table. She had filled him in on what happened at the house as soon as she arrived, and Giles had relayed to her what Wesley had told him about Demona's visit to Los Angeles earlier that year.

"None," Giles said. "He did say that Angel took a scroll with him, along with something he had kept hidden in their weapons cabinet."

"Any idea what that might've been?" Buffy asked.

"Wesley said that the hidden compartment was small," Giles said. "So it could have been any number of things. A talisman of some kind, or a small weapon..."

"I'm still trying to figure out the whole 'Demona knows Angel' deal," Xander said. "I mean, I get the whole thing that she's like a thousand and change, but you'd think she'd have mentioned the fact that she knows Angel at some point in time."

"Not to mention the fact that she had a hand in restoring his soul," Willow offered. "If Miss Calendar had said something before...uh..." She paused when she saw the look on Giles' face. "I mean..."

"It's possible that Jenny didn't know that Demona was still alive," Giles said after a brief pause. "After all, immortal gargoyles are rather few and far between."

"Very few," Xander said. He looked at Anya. "I'm kinda surprised you didn't get involved in Demona's little act of vengeance."

"What, you think every wronged woman in the world needed my help?" she asked. "Believe me, there were plenty of women out there that got along just fine without my help, and I've seen Demona do things that would give D'hoffryn chills. You know, he even thought about offering her a job once."

"Really?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, but then he decided that she was perfect just the way she was," she said. "Besides, I think she would have turned him down anyway. She really didn't have a very high opinion of demons back in those days..."

"Can we get back to the problem at hand?" Buffy asked. "Detective Lockley seems to think that Angel had something to with Faith's escape from prison, and odds are that she's already at the airport buying a ticket for the first flight to New York. I have to get there before she does."

"Are you certain that's wise, Buffy?" Giles asked. "With all the activity that's been going on around the world..."

"The only reason I can think of for Angel to suddenly head for New York is Demona might have a handle on what's been going on," Buffy stated. "Wesley did say that there was a reference to her in that scroll they were working on, right?"

"Yes, the Scroll of Aberjin," Giles said.

"Then Angel might have found something in that scroll," she said. "Something to do with what's been going on." She paused for a moment. "Maybe this thing that he took with him is something Demona needs to stop whatever's coming our way."

"It is possible," he said. "But we should not jump to conclusions." He paused for a second as the phone rang, but continued when he saw Anya pick it up. "Until we know for certain what is going on..." He didn't get a chance to finish his statement, because at that moment, the interior of the shop was bathed in an eldritch glow. Buffy quickly jumped up, readying herself for a fight as several of the shop's now frightened customers bolted for the door, but then the glow suddenly dissipated, leaving a young woman with long silver-blonde hair lying trembling on the floor. Buffy took a quick step forward.

"Buffy, wait," Giles said quickly. He cautiously approached the figure on the floor. When he touched her gently on the shoulder, she lifted her head and focused on him.

"Merlin?" she asked.

"Not quite," Giles said before turning his attention to Buffy and the rest of her friends for a brief moment. "My name is Rupert Giles," he said. "I'm a Watcher. And you are..."

"I am Lily," she said. "But I am known to many in your world as the Lady of the Lake." She looked around briefly. "Where is Merlin?" she asked as she tried to get up. "I need to find him..." She stopped as a wave of dizziness swept over her.

Giles quickly steadied her as her knees began to buckle and began leading her towards an empty chair. "Willow," he said. "There's an herbal tea in the green jar over on that shelf. Can you get it and prepare a cup for our...visitor?"

"Right," Willow said as she quickly got up and rushed to the shelf Giles had indicated. Tara went to help her as Giles turned his attention back to Lily.

"What happened?" he asked as he took in her appearance. Her gown was torn in several places, and there was an ugly bruise forming around her left eye. She had clearly been in a fight, which made Giles realize that something was terribly wrong. Apart from the Asgardians and the Olympians, very few of the Fae ever resorted to physical combat. They always relied on their magicks to defeat their enemies.

The Lady of the Lake looked up and saw the concern in the Watcher's eyes. "A disaster," she said.

_Into The Mystic_

_London, England_

Leo looked towards the back of the store with concern. As soon as they had awakened for the evening, Una had sequestered herself in the back room, just as she had for the past several days, going over her books and scrolls, trying to find some way of averting what she feared was about to take place. To make matters worse, Arthur and Emrys had left shortly after sunset to investigate a bizarre occurrence at Stonehenge, and they had yet to return. He turned as he heard the bell above the door ring, announcing that someone had come in, and hoping that it was them.

"She in the back room again?" his clanmate Griff asked as he looked towards the back of the store.

"Yes," Leo said. The leonid gargoyle sighed as he looked at the door. "And the longer she stays in there, the more worried I get." He growled in frustration. "The worst part of this is the blasted waiting!" he snapped. "I want this over and done with so we can all get back to living a normal existence."

"It would be nice," Griff said. "But somehow I don't see it happening anytime soon."

Leo growled again. At that moment the phone rang. He quickly picked it up. "Into The Mystic," he said. "I'm not sure if we have that particular item, but I can check." Griff watched as Leo picked up a pen and quickly jotted down a name and a phone number. "I'll call you back as soon as I locate it." He hung up the phone. "Blasted doomsday cultists," he growled.

Griff looked at the name of the text Leo had written down as the gargoyle stalked towards the bookshelves. "Have they been keeping you busy?" he asked.

"The closer we get to the end of the millenium, the more they seem to come out of the woodwork," he said. He stared at the shelves for several minutes before he decided that the book the customer wanted was not on the shelves. "Between them and what's been going on lately, the more I think..."

The phone rang a second time. Leo growled as he stalked over to the phone and paused for a moment to try to calm himself before answering it. "Into the Mystic," he said as he answered the phone.

"Leo?" a very familiar and urgent sounding voice said. "This is Rupert."

"Rupert," Leo said. "I'm afraid this isn't the best time to call. Una..."

"I need to speak to Emrys," Giles said. "It's very important."

Leo looked at Griff, a look of concern on his face. "Emrys isn't here, Rupert," he said. "He and Arthur left a little while ago."

"Do you know when they'll be back?" Giles asked, and Leo quickly picked up on the urgency in his voice.

"I wish I could tell you, Rupert," he said. "They went to check on something going on at Stonehenge. For all I know, they could've gotten sucked into an alternate reality." He paused for a second when he heard Giles curse slightly. "Why?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"We've had an...occurrence," Giles said, pausing for a moment. "A woman showed up at the shop looking for Emrys. She claims to be from Avalon."

Griff caught the surprised look on Leo's face. "Did she give you her name?" Leo asked.

"She claims to be the Lady of the Lake," Giles said. "That's why I called." Giles paused to look at Lily, who was sitting at the table, a cup of tea clasped in her small hands. "While I don't doubt that she came from Avalon, I would feel better if Emrys or Arthur could confirm her identity."

Leo looked at Griff. "Well, as I've said before, neither one of them is here. But I still might be able to give you a little help." He placed his hand over the mouthpiece. "You told us that you and Arthur met the Lady of the Lake when you and he were transported to New York, right?" he asked.

"That's right," Griff said. "Why?"

"Rupert says there's a woman at his shop who claims to be her." He handed the phone to Griff.

"Hullo, Rupert," Griff said. "Leo says you need to be sure about who your visitor is."

"Yes," Giles said. "Have you met the Lady of the Lake before?"

"About four years ago," Griff said.

Giles looked at Lily. "Can you describe her?" he asked.

"She was very lovely," Griff said. "She had long, silver-blonde hair and she was wearing a white samite dress the last time I saw her."

"Can you tell me anything more?" Giles asked, and then listened intently as Griff gave him more information. "Thank you, Griff," he said. "You've been very helpful."

"Anytime, Rupert," Griff said. "Do you want us to tell Emrys and Arthur about this when they get back?"

"Given the circumstances, I think that they should be informed about this as soon as possible," he said.

"We'll try to get this information to them as soon as possible," Griff said. After hearing Giles end the call, he hung up the phone. "Think I can reach Salisbury before sunrise?" he asked.

"Not bloody likely, mate," Leo said. "You might be better off waiting for Arthur and Emrys to come back on their own."

Griff looked at the phone. "We may not have that much time," he said as he picked it up and began placing a call.

_The Magic Box_

"What did he say?" Buffy asked as Giles stepped away from the phone.

"Emrys wasn't there," Giles said. "He and Arthur were off checking a disturbance at Stonehenge." He looked at Lily. "But I did talk to someone who says he's met you before."

"Arthur's gargoyle companion, Griff," she said. "Yes, I remember him. He was with Arthur when he reclaimed Excalibur."

Giles was slightly surprised by Lily's quick statement, but it did match what Griff had told him. "Well, that does seem to confirm that you are who you say you are," he said.

"Arthur," Xander said. "Are we talking about..."

"King Arthur," Giles said. "Yes, the very same."

"And you know him?" Xander asked in disbelief.

"I met him when I went back to England a few weeks ago," Giles said. "Very pleasant fellow."

"But I thought he was still asleep on Avalon," Willow said. "At least, that's what the legends say."

"Arthur was awakened from his sleep four years ago," Lily said. "In truth, he was not supposed to be awakened for quite some time, but his assistance was required to defend the clan of gargoyles that had taken up residence on Avalon, and he was instrumental in the struggle against Madoc Morfryn and the Unseelie Court last year."

"And now he's back in England," Buffy stated. "But if he's there, then how come you ended up here?"

"That I cannot explain," Lily said. "I had intended to arrive in London and make contact with Arthur and Emrys, though why I did not succeed is puzzling."

"Leo mentioned a disturbance at Stonehenge," Giles said. "It is possible that if something were indeed happening there, it could have caused enough of a disturbance to prevent you from reaching them." He paused for a moment. "It still begs the question as to why you were attempting to locate them," he said. "Perhaps you should tell us what happened."

"There's been an attack," she said. "Avalon...has fallen."

"What?" Buffy gasped.

"How?" Giles asked.

Lily took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. "It started just after dawn..."

_Avalon_

_A few hours ago..._

Oberon frowned as he watched the sun rise through the windows of the Main Hall. A new day was dawning, and his queen had yet to return from the mortal world. He turned his attention towards the Fae gathered in the hall.

"Any news?" Odin, the All-Father, asked.

"No," Oberon snarled. "Our lady Titania had said her visit would be brief, and yet a new day has come, and she has yet to return. We grow impatient."

The raven-haired Selene, who stood on the dais with her sisters, stepped forward. "Do you wish us to find her, lord?"

"No," Oberon said with a frustrated sigh. "We know where our queen has taken herself. She visits her daughter and grandson in the mortal world. We have no quarrel with that, but we do wish..."

Suddenly, a ball of flame appeared in the middle of the Main Hall and began to grow, causing the gathered Fae to back away quickly. Oberon quickly stood up, casting an eye towards the Weird Sisters in hopes that they could offer an explanation for the rude interruption. When they offered none, Oberon turned his attention back towards the flames. "We hope that you have a good explanation for this interruption, TimeDancer..."

The flames dispersed, leaving two women standing in the middle of the hall. One of them looked around with a wide smile on her face. After a few seconds, she focused on Oberon.

"Hi, baby," she said. "I'm back."

_The Magic Box_

"The Children fought valiantly," Lily said. "But she managed to shrug off their fiercest blows. I watched as Odin transformed himself into a mighty bear and charge her, but she held off his assault, and then tossed him aside as if he were nothing more than a toy. Not even Anansi was able to contain her." She paused for a moment to take another sip of the tea.

"What about Oberon?" Willow asked. "And the Weird Sisters?"

"The Sisters held back as the rest fought and fell before her," Lily said. When she saw the frown on Buffy's face, she continued. "It is their way. You may find fault in the fact that they waited while the rest did battle." She looked at Giles. "But there is a logic in it."

"Really," Xander snorted.

"I can see it," Buffy said, which drew a startled look from Xander. "Combined, the Sisters have got to be way stronger than anything we've ever faced."

"Buffy is correct," Giles said. "When they work in concert, their combined power is said to rival that of Oberon himself." He looked at Lily. "But I'm guessing even that wasn't enough."

"No," she said. "Even they were unable to defeat her. She swept them aside as if they were nothing, and then..." She trembled. "She faced Oberon in personal combat. When he encased her in ice, I thought that it was over, but then I saw her smile, and she broke free of the prison." She looked up at Giles. "That was when I left to find Merlin," she said. "I realized then that she could not be stopped, so...so I..."

"There is no shame in fleeing," Giles said. "Obviously there was nothing you could do, and if you had remained, you undoubtedly would have suffered far worse injuries."

"So who exactly was it that attacked you?" Buffy asked. "Was it one of these 'Unseelie' that you mentioned before?"

"Would that it were one of them," Lily said. "At least then, Oberon would have been able to dispatch them and the threat they represent would be over and done with." She paused for a second. "No," she said. "What came to Avalon this day was something far worse."

"Somehow, I'm not liking where this is headed," Xander said.

"It was a being of great power," Lily said. "One that has not been seen in this dimension for a great many centuries." She paused for a moment to gather her wits, the brew that Willow had prepared for her doing much to steady her nerves. "There were two of them," she said. "One was a young human that had the mark of Avalon about her, and something more. But the other..." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "She knew of us," she continued. "She knew of our kind, and she looked on us with contempt, as if it were beneath her dignity to attack us."

"You knew who your attacker was?" Giles asked.

"Yes," Lily said. "She is this world's doom."

"Great," Xander said. "As if one psychotic demon bitch wasn't bad enough."

"We've got to go there," Buffy said.

"Go where?" Giles asked. Then he realized what Buffy was suggesting. "You mean go to Avalon? Buffy..."

"Giles, we have to," she said quickly. "This...whatever it is that attacked Avalon, we've got to try to contain it there before it finds its way here. God, I don't want to think of what could happen if it reaches Earth and meets up with Glory."

"Yeah," Xander said. "The last thing we need is for Glory to team up with this big bad whatsits."

"Or worse still," Willow said. "For us to get caught in a crossfire if they decide to duke it out."

"We don't have a whole bunch of options, Giles," Buffy said. "And I'm guessing very little time for the ones we do have." She looked to Lily, who nodded in agreement.

Giles sighed, realizing that she was right. "Very well," he said. "There's a large mirror downstairs. We'll need to bring it up here."

Buffy followed Giles into the basement. She waited for a brief moment as Giles moved several boxes out of the way and then motioned her forward to help him lift the mirror. "What do we need this for?" she asked as they began carrying it upstairs.

"In order to make the journey to Avalon, we're going to need a stable portal," he said. "One that our visitor can open with ease. On occasion, the Fae have used mirrors as conduits between this world and others. This one will be sufficient for our immediate needs."

"Just like Alice through the looking glass," she said.

"Precisely."

They managed the mirror up the stairs and set it up in the center of the shop. As soon as Giles removed the blanket that covered the mirror, they gathered around it as Willow and Tara helped Lily towards the mirror.

"So how does this work?" Xander asked. "Do we just walk right through?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, no way I'm missing out on this road trip," he said. "My last one got cut kinda short, remember?"

"And if Xander's going, I'm going," Anya chimed in. When Buffy gave her a critical look, she added. "Someone's gotta make sure he doesn't get his other wrist broken." She then went to the front door and locked it.

"Xander, I don't think this is a good idea," Buffy said, pausing for a moment as the phone rang. Anya quickly raced over to the counter and answered it. "After what happened with that troll Olaf..."

"So a seriously pissed off troll broke my wrist, so what," he said with a cockeyed smile. "Hey, it happens. Just one of the perks of being me."

"I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all," Buffy said.

Xander held up his right arm. "Too late. Besides, I've already had every conceivable mishap happen to me already. What more can happen?"

"I don't even want to think..." she started.

"Buffy," Anya said, holding out the phone. "It's your mom."

Buffy hesitated for a moment before going over and taking the phone from Anya. "Yeah, mom," she said.

"We're waiting for you at the airport," she said. "Do you know how much longer you're going to be at the magic shop?"

Buffy grimaced. "Mom..." she started.

"Don't tell me," her mother said. "Something's come up."

"Unfortunately," she managed.

"Buffy..."

"Mom, I know I said I'd go with you and Dawn to New York." She paused as Lily placed her hand against the mirror. The glass began to shimmer as the Fae invoked the spell that would open the doorway to Avalon. "But this is something I've got to take care of," she continued.

"Any chance I can convince you to just let this one slide?" Joyce asked.

"Not really," Buffy said. "I promise I'll be careful, and I'll try to get this thing taken care of as quickly as possible. Who knows, I might make it to New York before your plane even leaves the gate."

"How..." she heard her mother start, but then Buffy's attention was drawn towards the center of the shop, which was suddenly bathed in light as Lily opened the portal.

"Listen mom, I've got to run," she said. "But I promise I'll call you as soon as I can." She quickly hung up the phone and hurried to join her friends as they passed through the portal into Avalon.

"Buffy, wait," Joyce started, only to hear the line go dead. She looked at the phone helplessly, realizing that it was probably no use trying to call back. With a heavy sigh, she hung up the phone and went to join Dawn on the plane.

_The Eyrie Building_

Goliath awoke with a roar, thoughts of what he and Elisa had planned for the night already causing him to smile as he shook off his stone skin, but as he turned, he could already sense that something was wrong.

"Where is Elisa?" he asked as he saw Xanatos walking towards him.

"She's down in the hospital wing," Xanatos said. "She was…" He paused as he saw the anger already causing the male gargoyle's eyes to blaze brightly. "She was injured this morning during a pursuit." He took a cautious step towards Goliath. "But don't worry, Goliath. She's not in any danger."

Xanatos' words didn't seem to calm Goliath down. "Who would dare harm her?" he said angrily.

"It was a vampire, Goliath," Xanatos said. "He attacked a shopkeeper and then Elisa when she took off after him." He placed a hand on Goliath's arm when he saw that the lavender giant was about to go searching for Elisa's attacker. "But don't worry. He's already been taken care of. Someone got to her before he had a chance to finish."

"Bluestone?" Goliath asked.

"Not quite," Xanatos said. He turned and a dark-haired stranger walked out onto the battlements.

"My name's Angel," he said, extending his hand.

Goliath looked at the proffered hand but refused to take it, already sensing Angel's true nature. This was confirmed when Bronx and Nudnik began circling the vampire, growling loudly, while Sata's hand went automatically to the hilt of her katana as the rest of the clan took a defensive posture around the vampire.

"You are not welcome here, vampire," Goliath growled.

"Goliath, you might want to consider the fact that he saved Elisa's life," Xanatos said.

"And that is the only reason I have yet to remove his head from his shoulders, Xanatos," Goliath growled at the billionaire. "How is he any different than any other vampire?"

"Because he has a soul," Xanatos said.

Goliath looked at Angel in surprise. "That is not possible."

"You might want to take that up with Demona," Angel said. "She's the one who had a hand in restoring it."

"You know Demona?" he asked, looking at Angela.

"Her, and Buffy," Angel said. When Goliath looked at him sharply at the mention of the Slayer, he quickly continued. "Didn't Buffy tell you about me the last time she was here?"

Goliath's rage began to abate. "She did," he admitted. "But I did not think that you were that same…'person'…"

"There aren't too many vampires running around with a soul, Goliath," Xanatos said. "But if you want, I can put in a call to Sunnydale or give Demona a call…"

"That will not be necessary, Xanatos," Goliath said before turning his attention back to Angel. "I am…sorry for what I said, Angel," he said. "I should have realized that Xanatos would not have allowed you entrance to the castle if you were truly dangerous."

"That's all right, Goliath," Angel said as he looked around, noticing that the rest of Goliath's clan was beginning to relax considerably, even though they kept their distance from him, Sata in particular. "I tend to get that a lot, even from people who know that I have a soul. It's one of the drawbacks of having the reputation I have, but I've learned to live with it." He turned his attention back to Goliath. "Listen," he said. "I've got to leave. I've got a few things that need to be taken care of."

"Of course," Goliath said, extending his hand. Angel took it and gave it a friendly shake. "Have a safe journey," Goliath said.

"Thanks," Angel said. After Goliath released his hand, Angel turned and left the battlement. Goliath then turned his attention to Xanatos.

"I wish to see Elisa," he said.

Xanatos smiled. "I thought you might," he said.

The Eyrie Building's Medical Wing

The first thing Elisa saw when she awoke was a pair of worried eyes set in a massive lavender face.

"Hey, Big Guy," she said weakly.

"Shhh," Goliath whispered, placing a talon to her lips. "Do not try to speak," he added. "You need to rest."

Elisa turned her head slightly, and she immediately recognized the room she was in. "How..."

"You were brought here by Detective Bluestone and one other," Goliath said.

"Angel?" Elisa asked. She dimly recalled being saved by someone who told her that was his name.

"Yes," Goliath said.

"Where...where is he?" she asked.

"He is gone," Goliath said. "He left shortly after we awoke, and Bronx took an instant dislike to him."

"Why?" she asked.

"You do not know?" Goliath asked. When Elisa shook her head slightly, he continued. "Angel is a vampire, remember?"

That caught Elisa's attention. She almost sat up in the bed, but Goliath quickly put his hand on her shoulder. "It is all right, Elisa. He is the one Buffy Summers told us about."

"Buffy..." she started, but then the memories of five months ago started coming back. She remembered talking to the young Slayer some time after the attempt to cure her friend Oz, and Buffy had commented about Elisa's romance with Goliath. When Elisa admitted that it did sound a little strange, Buffy had opened up about her own tragic love affair with Angel. At first, Elisa had been surprised that someone who was in the business of killing vampires could actually fall in love with one, but Buffy had told her that Angel was a special case, and that in the end, the two parted as friends, not enemies. Although she admitted that there had been a few tense moments during the relationship...

"I remember now," she said as she let herself sag into the pillows. She reached up and put her hand to her bandaged throat. "Where did he go? I want to thank him..."

"I have already thanked him for saving you, my Elisa," he said. He took her hand and gently kissed the knuckles. "I do not know what I would have done had he not returned you to me."

Elisa smiled at him. "Let's not even think about that, huh?" she said.

"Of course, my love," he said. He paused to look at the bandage that covered the bite marks on her throat. Elisa brought her hand up and gently touched the dressing. Suddenly, a feeling of dread swept over her.

"I'm not suddenly going to develop a taste for O Positive, am I?"

"No," Goliath said quickly, even as he smiled at Elisa's comment. He rested his hand on her chest. "Your heart still beats. Angel was able to spare you that fate. He did not allow the vampire that attacked you time enough to finish feeding."

Elisa breathed a sigh of relief and let herself sag against the pillow. "Man, that's a relief," she said. "For a minute, I was worried that one night I'd begin seeing you as a midnight snack…"

"I doubt that would ever happen even if you were to become one of them," Goliath said with a smile. When he saw the questioning look on Elisa's face, he quickly continued. "Vampires do not care for the taste of gargoyle blood." He leaned forward and placed his lips against Elisa's forehead. "Rest now, my Elisa," he said. "I shall return before sunrise to check on you."

Elisa reached up and caught his hand. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

Goliath smiled at her. "I shall, my love," he said.

After Elisa released his hand, Goliath left the room. After he was gone, Elisa reached up and tentatively touched the bandage that covered the bite wounds on her neck again, hoping that Goliath was right.

Angel walked down the street, taking in the sights even as he focused on his reason for being here. Demona held the key to restoring his humanity, and he couldn't help but wonder just how long his life was going to be intertwined with that of the immortal gargoyle.

The last time he was in New York was in 1996. Rumors of gargoyle sightings had drawn him there, and he had spent weeks searching the city's dark underbelly for one in particular. The one who had had a hand in restoring his soul. Demona. He'd hoped that she could do something to alleviate his misery, perhaps by removing the soul she had helped curse him with, but he was never able to locate her, and ultimately he was approached by the demon Whistler, who told him that he had a destiny to fulfill. A destiny that involved a young high school girl in California named Buffy Summers...

Angel paused for just a second, then turned down a darkened alley. After a few minutes, he stopped. "Hello, Whistler," he said.

"Well, I never thought I'd see you here again," a familiar voice said. He turned and found himself staring into the face of someone he hadn't seen in over four years. "Last I heard, you were in Los Angeles," the demon said as he approached the vampire. "I heard what happened to Doyle. Tough break."

"He was a good friend," Angel said. "Now if you'll excuse me..." he started as he began to turn away.

"It's not going to work, Angel," Whistler said. When the vampire paused to look at him, he continued. "I know about the dagger. I know what you're planning to do with it. Take my advice. Don't even consider trying it. You'll just piss her off. And you'll only make things worse down the road."

"Demona is the key to restoring my humanity, Whistler," Angel said.

"Are you sure about that, Angel?" he asked. When Angel frowned at him, he backed up slightly. "Yeah, I know. The legends say that by using the dagger to slay an immortal, you might be able to use it to restore your humanity." He paused for a second. "But that's taking a pretty big risk, pal. What if the legends are wrong?"

"They're not," Angel said. "They can't be."

Whistler sighed. "Look, Angel," he said. "A lot of weird things are going on right now. And right now, the Powers can't afford to have their champion going off on his own little quest for his humanity just because of one little slip-up."

"I almost..." he started angrily. "I almost killed someone."

"Yeah, I heard about that too," Whistler said. "Kate Lockley, a detective with the LAPD. Quite a looker, too." When Angel frowned at him, he smiled. "I've been keeping tabs on what's going on out on the West Coast," he said. "Especially when it comes to you, my friend."

"Listen, Whistler," Angel said dangerously. "If you're here to try to convince me to go back to Los Angeles, then..."

"Now why would I do that?" the demon responded, which caused Angel to pause for a moment. "I haven't said anything about you going back to L.A. just yet. As a matter of fact, the Powers needed you here, and you couldn't have shown up at a better time."

"You knew I was going to be here," Angel said.

"In a way," Whistler said. "A buddy of mine's been keeping close tabs on a particular cop, and he caught your little rescue act this morning. Nice save, by the way, although you could've cut it a little closer."

"She'll live," Angel said.

"Yeah," Whistler said. "I heard." He paused for a second. "Something's coming, Angel," he said. "Something mean and powerful, and not particularly squeamish about squashing anyone who happens to get in the way." He looked at Angel. "And that includes anyone associated with the Powers-That-Be."

Angel let out a frustrated growl. "Fine," he said. "I'll wait." Then he pulled out the dagger and pointed it at the demon. "But that doesn't change anything, Whistler," he said. "When this is over..."

"Fine, fine," he said, backing away slightly. "Just watch where you point that thing, will ya? I'd hate to end up on the receiving end of that thing."

Angel smiled slightly as he watched the demon turn and leave before sticking the dagger back into its sheath. He then looked up at the night sky and caught sight of a winged figure passing overhead.

Avalon

Princess Katherine knelt by Tom's side, trying desperately to ease his pain. All around her in the Main Hall, the Children of Oberon lay motionless, many still unconscious, some moaning in obvious pain and a few already beyond any help she could give. She did what she could for Tom before starting to move on to the next victim of the battle.

Behind her on the dais, Oberon's Mirror suddenly sprang to life. She turned as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in response to the magical charge, and she quickly scooped up Tom's sword to defend herself and Tom and the Children from whatever new threat came through.

Lily stepped through the mirror. She hesitated for a moment as she took in the carnage around her, but then her eyes focused on Katherine, a sword in her hand.

"Princess!" she called out.

Katherine's eyes went wide in surprise, but then she let the sword drop from her hand as she rushed to greet her. "My lady!" she replied.

Lily turned as the mirror shimmered a second time, and six more figures stepped through, two men and four young women. One of the young women quickly took in what had happened and turned towards her companions. "Do what you can to help them," she said quickly. Then she turned to the older of the two men. "Giles."

Giles followed Buffy as she stepped off the dais and headed straight for Katherine. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes," she said nervously. "But Tom..."

Buffy looked past Katherine and focused on the warrior lying on the floor. She stepped around Katherine and quickly went to his side. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"No," Tom groaned, holding his right arm. Buffy grimaced as she noticed that it was bent at an odd angle.

"We're going to need a splint," Buffy said quickly. Then she turned her attention towards Katherine. "Where did she go?" she asked. When Katherine looked at her in confusion, she continued. "The woman who attacked you," she said. "Where did she go?"

Katherine pointed towards the shattered wooden doors that led to the rest of the castle. "She went through there," she said.

Buffy turned her attention to the other side of the hall. "Willow!"

Willow left Tara and Anya as they were tending to a large Fae with a horned helmet and a long snowy beard and raced to Buffy's side. "What do you need?" she asked.

"I need you," Buffy said. "C'mon." Taking the young Wicca by the hand, Buffy pulled her towards the shattered doors. Just as they were about to go through, they were brought up short by a pair of gargoyles, one male and the other female, the male leaning heavily on the female's shoulder. As soon as they were inside, the male started to sag heavily towards the floor. Buffy quickly caught him and helped the female lower him to the floor.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We were attacked," the turquoise colored female said. "In the corridor leading to the Lady Maeve's cell."

There was a sudden gasp behind her that Buffy realized had come from Princess Katherine. _Whoever this Maeve is, she must be bad news, _she thought. "Show me!" she said urgently.

The female gargoyle gave her companion a worried glance before backing up as Katherine quickly began tending to his injuries. She turned and raced out of the Main Hall, Buffy and Willow following close behind. Xander saw them leave the Main Hall and rushed to join them.

"Xander!" Anya cried out in protest, seeing her lover leaving.

"Stay here, Anya," he called out. "Help Giles and Tara with the wounded. I'll be right back."

"But there's nothing you can..." she started, but then the Fae she was helping groaned. For a moment, she considered taking off after Xander, but by that time he was already out of sight. She turned here attention back to the Fae. "Uh, hi. Long time, no see."

Odin groaned.

The gargoyle maintained an impressive pace, and several times Buffy had to pause to allow Willow to catch up.

"Go on," Willow said breathlessly as she saw Buffy waiting for her. "I'll catch up."

"I'm not leaving you behind, Wil," she said.

"Don't worry about me," Willow said. "I'll be okay. I just need...to catch my breath."

Buffy hesitated for a brief second before taking off. Willow braced her hand against the wall and tried to control her breathing.

"Willow, are you okay?" Xander asked as he ran up, seeing his friend leaning against the wall.

"Yeah," she said. "I just need a minute." She paused for a second. "Man, what I wouldn't give to have her endurance." She looked at Xander. "We better..."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a loud bang coming from the direction Buffy had gone in. It was quickly followed by another. And another. Xander looked at Willow. "That does not sound good," he said. Together, they took off after their friend.

Buffy caught up with Turquesa as the sound of something pounding on a large heavy door reached them. The gargoyle hesitated for a moment, causing Buffy to come up short. "What is it?" she asked. "What is that?"

"She has reached the door to Maeve's cell," Turquesa said. "Hopefully she will not be able to breach..." She stopped when they heard the door being knocked off its hinges. "But that is not possible," she gasped in disbelief. "Only Oberon..."

"Maybe Oberon isn't as powerful as everybody thinks he is," Buffy said. When Turquesa looked at her in disbelief, she continued. "Believe me, I've seen some pretty powerful demons in my time. But everything has a weak point." She quickly took off down the corridor. Turquesa hesitated for a moment, giving Willow and Xander the chance to catch up, before following Buffy down the corridor.

Buffy reached the cell, pausing for a minute to look at the dislodged stone that had held the door in place before racing inside. What she saw brought her up short.

"Well, well," Glory said as she turned to see Buffy rush into the cell. "Welcome to the party, Slaybrat."

Buffy hesitated for a telling moment, just long enough to register the presence of Faith in the cell with Glory and a woman with long green hair that she realized had to be Maeve before Glory reached forward and grabbed Faith by the wrist.

"Sorry we can't stay," Glory said. "But we've got places to go, people to kill. Keys to find." She then slapped something into Faith's hand. "And very little time to do it in. See ya."

Maeve quickly stepped forward and clasped Faith's hand. _"Deflegrate muri intervallia!" _she called out, and suddenly a ball of flame surrounded them. Buffy threw herself out of the cell to avoid the fireball, landing hard on the floor of the corridor outside the cell. When she turned to look back into the cell, Glory, Faith and Maeve were gone.

"Buffy!" she heard a voice call out. She looked up to see Willow, Xander and Turquesa running towards her. They slowed when they saw the Slayer lying on the floor. Xander quickly rushed forward to help her to her feet.

"What happened?" he asked. "Did you stop...whoever it was?"

"No," she said regretfully. "They got away."

"They?" Willow asked. "They who?"

Buffy hesitated for a moment as she looked at Willow and Xander. "Glory," she said. "It was Glory." She paused for a second. "And Faith was with her."

Willow's eyes went wide in surprise.

Things had just gotten a whole lot worse.

To be continued...


End file.
